


Looking After You

by Sokorra



Series: Ariana 'Verse [1]
Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Family Dynamics, Mythology References, Non-Comic Compliant, Not Thor: Ragnarok (2017) Compliant, Not Thor: The Dark World Compliant, Post-Thor (2011), Steve Nick & Tony are minor characters, Written before latest movie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-30
Updated: 2017-10-29
Packaged: 2017-12-31 00:19:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 59,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1025098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sokorra/pseuds/Sokorra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Loki is returned to Asgard, it is clear something is wrong with him.  It may take Thor and Darcy delving into his mental space to find what it is, and protect him from himself. (AU after Avengers)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Gathering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Problems arise when Loki is to be given his punishment and confessions are heard.  
> (Revised 10/2014)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As of 10/19/2014 I am replacing chapters with revised chapters. If the listed chapters is higher then 9, then I will have completed the revision of the first 9 chapters. But you notice that the fic says its updated, yet nothing seems different or added, its probably because I'm replacing chapters with revised editions.
> 
> Special thanks to HarbingerLoki and Ana for their beta and commentary services respectively.

Odin sat in a room full of people, but at the moment felt very alone and very much his years. He had always placed his role as All Father foremost, feeling a responsibility for his people and the realms they protected. He had attempted to train his sons to do the same thing.

It had taken him several centuries to learn that perhaps being a father first might have been what was best for his people. After all, He was called the “All Father”. Perhaps, if he had made wiser decisions with his own children, his people would not be here today to witness his youngest son being punished for his actions.

His eldest son sat off to the side, looking at the walls that held portraits of the royal family over the years. He was alone except for the presence of the woman he had claimed as his own from Midgard. The woman who had helped Thor when he needed it. While she was not the one to teach him the lessons of humility and forethought, she had been there to help him as he learned it.

Currently they were viewing a portrait of the family that had been made a few centuries ago. In that portrait they all looked happy. Even Loki.  Odin turned his face away from the portrait.

Further down the room and the table that Odin sat at were members of The Avengers as well as Warriors Three and Lady Sif. They, unlike Thor and Odin, were there to see that the punishment was accomplished. Odin just wanted it over with, wanted to rebuild his family from the falling pieces it was at the moment.

Frigga was with Loki, who was in another room being seen by the old woman who would bind his magic till he was able to use it with responsibility. She had not been pleased by any of the events of the last few years, and had made sure her husband knew that.

The large thick doors that separated the council room from the rest of the palace started to open, revealing the old woman. She had been a healer amongst the Asgard since Odin had been a child himself, yet looked barely older than him. She was not of Asgard, hailing from another planet, its name long lost. She had long white hair, kept in a single braid down her back. She wore simple robe like clothes, and had no ornaments except for a ring she wore on her right hand with a mobius design.

“We have a complication,” she stated as she paused in the doorway and took in those who were there. “The binding cannot proceed as planned.” Voices rose in protest, half in concern for the one being punished, half in wish for retribution. The old woman ignored them all, walking towards Odin himself.

“Silence!” Odin commanded and the room quieted. “Explain.” He motioned to the old woman to continue.

“Your son has been touched by the Tesseract,” she stated, and then addressed the whole room. “The damage done by this artifact has to be repaired. Binding may occur before the healing is finished, but it cannot occur the way as intended.” She then paused and stared at Odin for a few moments.

“I shall prepare. You must be honest with those here as to the events that made this happen.” She started toward the door. “Your actions, while not responsible, are a component. The Father must heal as the son does, or the son’s daughter will feel the pain.”

Odin remained silent as she left the room, knowing the rest of the room was watching him. Thor gave him a knowing look, having known the story. The rest remained confused as to the words of the old woman.

Apparently it was time for Odin to confess.

 

* * *

 

Frigga sat near her unconscious son, running her hand through his hair as she did when he was a boy and he couldn’t sleep. Loki used to have such nightmares. He was a solitary child, and probably would never have told her his nightmares if she hadn’t heard him one night. He told her dreams of being so very cold, and alone. She always wondered if part of him remembered how his birth parents had left him to die because he had been so small.

She had always hoped he hadn’t.

She looked up as the old woman reappeared. Frigga had always found it fascinating how the woman could either made a large entrance or pop up behind you in utter silence. She was there when she was needed.

The Old Woman peered down at Loki, left unconscious from a sleeping spell. It always made it easier to heal the sick when they were asleep. Sleep after all, was a healer in itself. However this spell was not put to heal as much as prevent Loki from harming himself while she bound the magic that flowed naturally within him. She had done so before, usually on small children whose magic abilities had developed faster than their abilities to control and understand them. Usually it was only for a few months while they were given quick lessons in control. This punishment was indefinite and since she could not let it dissolve naturally, it would be more painful if the patient was awake.

She placed a pale hand on his forehead near where Frigga’s own rested and felt the turmoil inside the young man lying on the bed in front of her. There was the natural pain of having been lied to, of self-loathing. But there was also a layer of what the Tesseract had enhanced, had developed. His anger towards his family for abandoning him. His desire to rule over Midgard (when he hadn’t wanted to rule before) and his hatred towards his brother (whom he loved still).

There were remnants of good feelings that the Tesseract had not completely done away with. Memories of his mother comforting him after a nightmare, or when he had hurt. Memories of his father giving him his first sword, and helping him design his personal set of weaponry. Memories of his brother and their exploits together. And memories of a woman who had won his heart. Those last memories were hazy, tainted by the Tesseract and the damage it had inflicted.

She sighed in sadness. He would never be able to trust those memories as true. He would have to rebuild his relationship with the young woman. Hopefully that woman was strong enough to help him through what was to come next.

Loki, son of Odin and of Laufey, would need all the help he could get in the coming months.

 

* * *

 

 

Sif sat, her mind circling over the facts Odin had presented. While it had not excused Loki’s actions, it had put a drastically different spin on things and she found herself reevaluating the situation.

Loki was a Jotun. He had been left out to die by his parents, most likely due to the fact that he was smaller than normal for a Jotun infant and considered unlikely to survive. Odin had found him after the battle and removed him, both to save the child and as a hope for a future where Asgard and Jotunheim could live in peace.

Loki had only found out this when they had fought the Frost Giants after Thor’s intended coronation day.

She wondered if he rethought every interaction he ever had under this new information. Words said in jest must now seem like serious thoughts.

No, it did not excuse his lies to Thor, or his attempts to remove the Jotun, but it made his motivation more clear.

He wanted to prove that he was his father’s son. That he was a son of Asgard. That he wouldn’t become what they hated.

“All-Father, why did you not tell Loki of his adoption earlier? If you intended that he take Laufey’s place as King of the Jotun, why did you train him to hate them?” She asked.

Odin looked old in his chair, his one hand tightening and relaxing against the edge of the table.

“I love my son, Lady Sif. I did not want him to feel different. I didn’t want…” He paused, unsure for a second. “I didn’t want my son to stop loving me because I was not his real father. So I did not tell him. I thought it wise. No one would know, no one would treat him differently than Thor. Clearly my wisdom was faulty in this case.”

“As for the Jotun, I didn’t realize I was training my boy to hate who he was.”

“What about the granddaughter,” one of the Avengers spoke out. Odin looked at him, trying to recall how his son had introduced the sandy haired man. Ah, yes. The Captain who became the eternal soldier.  Steven, son of Rogers.

“I know not of what she speaks. As far as I am aware, my son has no children.”

“Not even the horse?”

“Shut up, Stark,” Fury, the leader of this group of warriors stated.

“Horse?” Sif asked.

“Apparently the myths that have existed on earth about us have….gotten a bit fanciful,” Thor explained. After he had returned to earth from dropping off his brother to see Jane, he had finally done a bit of reading of the earth myths about himself and Loki. “According to the international knowledge base known as Wikipedia Loki was the father of my father’s stead, Sleipnir. Apparently someone took my brother’s abilities to shift form in another direction.”

“Mr. Stark did not intend to offend anyone,” Fury stated, obviously trying to lessen any damage the question had caused, even though Stark himself looked unrepentant and almost amused by the whole thing. Sif hid a smirk. No doubt Stark and Loki would get along under normal circumstances. They always liked to shake things up. However, she wasn’t as sure if Loki would have approved of the subject matter of said shake-up. Fury looked like he regretted bringing Stark along.

“Thor, do you know of your brother having any children?” Odin asked. There was always a possibility that Loki had hid the fact from him. After all, his relationships with his sons had not included telling him about all of their partners.

“I know of none.”

“Perhaps she was thinking of the future, of a child might have once his ordeal is through,” Fandral pointed out.

“That would be incorrect, young one.” They all jumped at the sudden reappearance of the Old Woman. Her robes were now removed revealing a simple sheath of blue. “The child has already been born to a woman on Midgard. We will need her help if we wish to heal the son of Odin.”

“Any chance of a name?” Stark asked. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know where the god of Mischief had spent his nights.

“From his mind I could not pull a name. The memory, while fond and a good one, remains tainted by the Tesseract's effects. She was in the company of Thor’s brúðr.” Everyone looked towards Jane, who looked at the old woman in surprise. And then in realization and shock.

“Darcy,” she stated ignoring the fact that she had been named Thor’s bride. In fact, everyone pretty much found that to be of little notice. Or couldn’t translate.

“Lady Darcy?” Fandral stated, also clearly surprised. “I would not think him to be her type.”

“That’s because you want to believe you are her type,” Volstagg joked, trying to lighten the mood.

“Thor has told stories to us of Lady Darcy. Apparently she is formidable in her own right.”

“Heard she tasered him,” Stark said with perhaps a bit too much amusement.

“If Lady Darcy is indeed the woman of which we speak, then I have met my niece,” Thor stated before Volstagg could tell the story. “She gave birth several weeks ago. She named the child Ariana, although she told Jane and I that the child’s father was a man named Aaron Rogers.”  Odin looked at the Captain, wondering at the possibility of a connection.

“It is possible that my brother took on this name while he was on Midgard. He did claim to watch Erik for several months before he became known to us.”

“That would make sense. My memories of Aaron from the few times I saw him in the lab were hazy. He was supposed to be a computer analyst from SHEILD that was assigned to help us with our data.”

“Could Lady Darcy be unaware of my son being this man,” Odin asked standing and beginning to walk around. If his son had lied to this woman, and left her while she was pregnant she might not be willing to assist his son.

“I don’t know. All I know is that ‘Aaron’ left to deal with what he called family issues about eight months ago. About the same time Erik was asked to work primarily on the Tesseract.”

Odin and Thor shared a look. Thor had told his father of his brothers words meant to cause Thor to fight him. Thor had been embarrassed to have fallen for such a trick, but with this new information it seems that what had been a comment meant to cause Thor anger had become an action. He had gone after Jane, but had decided on another plan.

“We must bring her to Asgard,” Odin stated with evident command. The concerned and sorrowful father had stepped back and the King was once again before them. “For her own good as well as our own.”

After all, this child was his grandchild. This woman his son had been with might not be properly prepared to mother a princess of Asgard.


	2. The Darcy Factor

Darcy Lewis was exhausted.  Between turning in the last papers involving graduation, and her last couple of classes plus the duties of a new mother, she had barely enough time to breathe. She wondered when Jane would be back from Asgard.  The lab seemed lonely now that it was just her and Ariana.  Most of those who worked in the lab had been shifted to New York to work on restoring the city as well as panic and crisis control.

Which left her alone with a newborn in the middle of a New Mexican desert.  She loved her daughter, but she longed for a conversation with someone who could actually comprehend and respond.  With Jane gone, she was left with the lab aides who either stumbled over their words trying to impress her (she was the boss’ right hand lady) or gave her monosyllabic answers in the hopes that she would just go away and let them do some real work.

She could also use a nap.  Or chocolate and coffee, but mostly she wanted a nap where she could lay down for more than five minutes at a time.

She had been told by quite a few people, including her mother to get a nanny since her new income from SHIELD was enough to hire someone to take care of the baby while she was at work or at least for a few hours so she could take a nap. But at the moment she wasn’t about to.  Partially it was the fact that she was still getting used to the fact that this little person was something that came out of her.  She also had to worry about her daughter’s tendency to randomly turn blue.

She had been born blue, and frankly those first minutes when she saw her daughter and thought she was suffocating probably took a few years off her life.  Thankfully the doctor was familiar with children with mutations including strange colors, and was able to reassure her that her beautiful baby girl was actually breathing.  She became a normal peach color soon afterwards, but still had a tendency to turn blue at random moments.  She seemed to be able to control it too, and usually laughed when she did at the reactions she would get.

Darcy had decided it was a little early to put a babysitter through that, and she didn’t want to have to deal with finding one through SHIELD who could handle a child that had abilities out of the realm of average. Although it might be amusing to see what questions they would ask the poor babysitter.

Today she needed to finalize paperwork for the rebuilt lab Jane had been permission to build so it was complete before they decided to push it back till after they paid for the rebuilding of the SHIELD facility.  She put Ari’s baby carrier in the holder beside her desk, allowing her to see the baby at all times and then put her new ipod (she never did get her old ipod back, though Aaron...wait, he wasn’t really Aaron.  Loki had found a way to gather all the songs she had on it and download into a new one with expanded memory) into the dock and had it on low so it wouldn’t bother the baby.

Aaron Rogers.  She hadn’t thought of him (or the man he actually was) in few hours.  She went between missing him, wishing he was there to help, and wanting to taser him for the lies.  It usually depended on her mood on how bad the tasering got.  She was relatively alright at the moment, so it was only one tasering.

She had met Aaron a year ago, he had arrived to the lab as one of the group of SHEILD experts who were going to help Jane set up her lab and help her run it.  Apparently now that they were aware of the existence of Asgard, they were eager to get there themselves.  Aaron had been a computer expert, able to do magic with a few keystrokes.  Jane hadn’t seen him much, but the effects of what he had done had her very happy.

Darcy had taken a liking to him immediately.  He was good looking, had a great sense of humor (if a bit dark at times), and he took the time to say hello to her every morning.  Eventually he started to bring her coffee and the two would talk before their shifts.

That had led to nights spent on the roof talking about the stars.  Astronomy had not been an interest of hers before her internship, so her knowledge of them and the stories behind the constellations was limited.  He took the time to teach her both the technical things that made working for Jane a bit easier, but also told her some of the stories, including a few variations that he had made himself.

She had fallen for him fast, and the nights on the roof changed to dates and kisses and finally he spent a few nights a week at her place.  She had been happy, things had been going well for her friends and she had someone of her own.  At the time she had compared him to Thor only in showing how lucky she was she didn’t have to build a bridge to get to him.  He was right there.

After a few months he suddenly left, stating he had to deal some family business and he would get in contact with her when he could.  She didn’t hear a word of him or from him till she was watching the TV in horror while a man in a horned helmet tried to destroy New York City with a couple odd looking robo-snakes.

Thank goodness her daughter was too young to have a long term memory yet, because she didn’t want her daughter’s first words to be anything she said when she realized who it was.  In fact she was quite surprised (and perhaps a bit proud) that she had such a variety of words to use.

However, behind the anger, and the possibly inappropriate pride over swear words, was hurt. The realization that her geeky computer tech boy was actually the most likely mentally unstable and possibly quite evil younger brother of her best friend’s godly boytoy had not come without effect.  It had broken her heart.  He wasn’t coming back, she wasn’t even sure she wanted him too. 

But she saw him every day in her little girl.  Would it be right to use ironic for the fact that the daughter of the god of Mischief had been born on April Fool’s day?  She had her father’s green eyes, slightly tinted with blue.  Her hair was her mothers, however.  Jane had been fascinated by the fact that Ariana had been born with a full head of dark brown hair, more wavy then curly. 

Ariana Madeline Lewis was loved and had a large adopted family. Jane certainly took to being a godmother in the last couple of months, probably only slightly out of guilt for not being around much when Aaron was here. 

She really needed to call him by his real name. Come to terms with the fact that Aaron was just another lie Loki put together to get what he wanted. It hadn’t taken her long to connect the dots.  He had left when Erik had been asked to work on the Phase Two Project.  8 months later Erik is a zombie following orders and Loki is trying to take over Germany.

Family issues apparently translated into “I’m pissed at my brother and plan on taking over your world, so I’ll call you later.” 

Darcy frowned as her pen stopped working.  The paperwork had to be filled out and she kept running out of pens.  Was there some kind of conspiracy?  She couldn’t wait for Jane to come back.  Jane after all was the one supposed to fill this out.  Darcy only knew what half the equipment was for.  She was after all a political science major, not an astrophysicist.

She got up and walked to the storage cabinet where the box of pens was stored and grabbed a handful to take back to her desk.  She frowned as she noticed that previously sunny and cloudless sky had turned into a dark stormy one and the few aides that had come in that day were looking at it in concern.  She hadn’t heard of any storms coming on the weather, and she had left all the windows down in her car.  _Note to self: Ask Tony Stark to invent a car fob that will roll up your windows if it starts to rain suddenly._

She was midway back to her desk when the murmurs of the aides rose as they noticed a tall figure coming out of the dust cloud that had formed in front of the lab.  Sometimes having floor to ceiling windows allowed for a lot of distraction.  Darcy however recognized the figure. A smile broke on her face and she finished the trek to her desk, dropping off the pens and walked towards the door, ready to greet her friend.

Thor thankfully had learned that he needed to land outside, as his previous arrival had equaled the loss of a computer and a brand new sunlight that was still covered in plastic awaiting SHIELD approval for funds to fix it.  Thankfully it was on the other side of lab from where Darcy worked.

Her smile had left her face as she reached the door.  Thor did not have the same grin he usually wore when visiting.  The last time she had seen this face, he had just been told by his jerk of a little brother that their father had died and he was permanently banned from home.  Suddenly the lack of Jane took a whole new context.

 “Is something wrong with Jane,” she called out as she opened the door. “What’s wrong, why isn’t Jane here?” Thor didn’t enter the building, but he also didn’t seem to notice the four faces nearly plastered along the window looking at him either.

“Jane is perfectly alright.” Thor stated, touching her shoulder to calm her concerns. “I have come to take you and your daughter to Asgard.”

“Why?” When Jane and Thor had left to oversee Loki’s punishment, they had left her behind stating that the pathway between Midgard and Asgard did not allow for large groups of people.  She hadn’t minded, since she doubted that a baby at a trial would probably be unwelcomed, and she hadn’t decided if she wanted Loki to know about Ariana quite yet.  Unless Jane felt she needed Darcy’s support when meeting the in-laws, there really wasn’t a reason for Thor to come and get her.

“My father has requested it.”  Thor rarely discussed his father, but when he did Darcy got the impression that while Odin was a loving King, he was also not one to be declined.  Thor’s tone at the moment supported that.

“Cut the crap, Thor.  What is going on?  There is no reason for the All Father to request the presence of his future daughter-in-law’s glorified assistant.”  Then she remembered his look towards her daughter as he had said they had been requested. Her heart dropped.

Did they know the truth?  Had Loki known about the baby when he left? She had been working on the theory he hadn’t.  Would they take her away from her?  After all, she was just a mortal girl, barely into her mid-twenties who had no idea how to raise a daughter in the ways of the Asgard.

“You know.” She stated, a slight silver of anger coming through her voice.  Why hadn’t he said something when He was there before?

“Jane came to the right conclusion,” Thor stated, deciding that to be forthright in this conversation would be the best course of action. “The old woman who is binding my brother’s abilities says he has more injuries and your presence is needed to help her. And your child’s.  It was through her that the connection was made.”

“Why would they need my help?”

“I am unsure.  She does not explain herself, just commands.  Even Odin listens to her when she tells him to do something.” Thor walked over to where the baby slept, seemingly unbothered by the thunder and lightning that had preceded her Uncle’s arrival.

“Is this your grandmother or something?”

“She is not of Asgard.”  Her anger drained slightly at the somewhat lost look on his face as he stared at her daughter.  He seemed unknowing of how to perceive her. However there was love in that look and he was being surprisingly gentle with her as he ran a finger along her face.

 When he had seen her the first time he had just been an honorary Uncle, the title coming with his relationship to Jane, the godmother. Now he was this child’s Uncle in a more concrete way, even though still not through blood. He could see more of his brother’s features in the little girl, wondered if she would inherit her father’s mischievous side.

In a way, he hoped so.  He had so many good memories of his brother’s antics.  He missed his brother.

“We must leave soon.  The window for travel is not open for very much longer.  Do not worry about alerting anyone.  Fury has done this for you.”

“Great, everyone’s commanding my life now.  I’m not sure I want to take my daughter anywhere near Asgard.  She’s not going to be a token in someone’s war game.”  She knew enough from Thor’s explanations that things were not well in Asgard.  “She is my daughter.  I will not have someone taking her away from me.”

“That is not our intention,” Thor said softly, understanding her fears. “You are her mother and shall remain such. A bond such as that should never be broken. We need your presence on Asgard, Lady Darcy for my brother’s sake.  Your daughter should see what is her birthright as a granddaughter of Odin as well.”  He stepped closer and made sure their eyes met.  “I swear no harm will come to her.  You have my word.”

Darcy was silent for a moment, contemplating her choices. Her eyes flickered towards the stake of paperwork and the iPod that still was playing.  She had to admit there was some allure to going to Asgard.  Maybe she could finally get answers to the questions she had since Loki had left her behind.

Why her? Why didn’t he come back? Why did he lie? Was anything true?

Anger was so much better then feeling heartbreak.

She would go. Thor had been right. Asgard was part of her daughter’s heritage and she should not deny Ariana the chance to experience it. On a more selfish level, Darcy felt she needed to go to find answers, and if not answers, then to let Loki know what he was now loosing.


	3. Convincing Darcy

The old woman kept busy as she prepared a room for the procedure.  It would take several days for this to be complete. If it went well, the house of Odin might finally be able to heal.  It could turn out poorly though leaving Odin’s youngest son a prisoner in his own mind.

It would go well. The old woman would not have it go another way.  She had always had a fond spot for the young man, even mentoring him when he wanted to find a place for himself other than the shadow of his brother.  She had shown him how to use so-called magic to heal as well as taught him some skills in using knives and various length swords.  He had eventually gone his own way, learning in ways she could no longer teach him.  But she always saw a good person in him, and she would see to it that the object would not change that fact.

The room in which she worked was semi-round, a half dome, and the doorway to the hall along the curve of the room.  The ceiling rose high, with the only window far up on the wall opposite the curved dome ceiling of the opposite side. Below the window was a pair of carved wooden doors that opened up into a private garden that was bookended with a room identical to the one she was in.  These would be Loki’s quarters till his treatment was complete.  Between treatments he needed to be in a place where there was limited sensory input. Otherwise, he would return to the state he was currently in, reversing the work that she had already put into healing the damage.

She had magically enhanced the window to produce natural light so she could forgo any lighting that would affect the baths that were both now filling with a solution. It was a warm caramel color and thankfully smelt like caramel as well. Instead it was a formulated mixture that would allow easier access to the inner sanctum where Loki was close to imprisoning himself in.

“Can you explain how this will work?” Frigga asked from her spot near her son.

“Loki would be immersed in one of the baths, while the person trying to reach him would settle into the other. The mixture will allow a telepathic bond to form and allow them to exist within the mind space of your son,” she answered not looking up from her work. “The mixture will be cleared out and renewed each day and will only be used for a few hours. Anymore then that both the mixture and those involved would tire and injury can occur.” She looked up briefly to see Frigga nodding her understanding of what was just said.  The old woman sighed at the look of concern that Frigga had.

“Worry not.  Loki is too strong a person to allow someone to make him his own prison. With the help of his loved ones he will succeed in returning to us.”

“Will you still bind his magic once he is better?”

“If that is the will of the King.  And if it will not cause more damage. Affected your son was, but he is still responsible for his actions.  He must face the consequences.”

The old woman returned to her preparations.  She filled the room with various scents that worked well together. Scents that would remind Loki of good memories. Soon the room smelled like the great hall before a feast.  Good food, mead and the smell of leather. It was amazing how much the senses were taken for granted besides eye sight.  A smell could bring back a memory.  A texture could produce an emotion.  A taste could change a mood. In this room, the eyes were closed.  The other senses would have to be used.

She walked over to the raised platform built into a wall topped with cushions that Loki was currently lying on being attended by his mother as he was still unconscious from the attempts to bind his magic. He appeared to be suffering less in whatever memory he was trapped in then his previous one.  She rested her palm on his forehead to take a look.  It would be important to find the good memories. She lifted her hand with a smile.  That was not a memory she wished to intrude on, but it was a good sign Loki could be saved.

He could still find a memory of love and happiness.

“I have great hope, Frigga. And hope is very powerful indeed.”

~*~

Ariana did not like to travel Air-Thor.  Halfway to Asgard she had started to wail, and no doubt half of Asgard was alerted to their presence because of it. Darcy rocked her daughter slightly; trying to get across to her that it was alright, the scary man with the body size sword was a friend of her Uncle.

At least Darcy hoped he was a friend of Thor’s.

“So this is the mother of Asgard’s future,” he stated, his voice deep and calm.  She frowned at the comment, but decided he did not appear to be threatening.  Well, he was not threatening her.  He still looked pretty threatening in general. She figured it was the helmet. She wondered what the helmet maker of Asgard was thinking when he designed these things. Maybe, she could get one.  That would be cool.

“Asgard’s future?”  Her daughter was only two months old. Calling her the future of Asgard was a little premature wasn’t it? Besides wouldn’t the future of Asgard be Thor?  Or was this a general future of Asgard because she was the next generation?

“Your child is heir till a cousin is born.” He looked at her as if she were a curious painting. “This shall be interesting indeed to behold in these coming days.”  He stepped away from the doorway, and Darcy got her first look at Asgard.

“Wow,” she stated upon seeing the rest of the rainbow bridge and the towering city beyond it.  Or at least she thought she stated.  She wasn’t sure if her mouth had actually produced sound.  Ariana seemed equally enthralled, for she was quiet again, her green eyes wide taking in what little she could see from her mother’s arms.   Thor smiled, apparently happy that his home had impressed the newest members of his family.  If the situation wasn’t as serious, he might have joked about their reaction.

“The King awaits you in his throne room.  You should not delay your arrival.”  Thor nodded and wrapped his one arm around Darcy and her daughter and suddenly they were once again airborne, flying over top the city gates (and if Darcy held her daughter tighter, could anyone blame her).  And once again Ariana cried out, letting the realm know her displeasure.

Before they knew it, the dark blues and stark contracts of the outside were exchanged for the soft warm glow of Odin’s golden throne room. Odin was the only occupant, the room oddly silent and empty.  Ariana’s cries quieted down as if she sensed the room herself.  Odin’s were focused on where the noises were coming from and he didn’t seem to notice the woman carrying the child until he reached them. While he walked towards him, Darcy searched for signs of the sons within him.  Loki obviously did not have any of his father’s physical traits, but she did notice Loki had inherited some of his father’s mannerisms, including the calculating judging look.

“Greetings, Lady Darcy.  My son has told me much of you.”  Darcy tried to decide whether she was supposed to kneel or curtsey at this moment. Loki seemed to have preferred kneeling, and Thor had never mentioned a preference or even if there was one.  Either way, Odin seemed indifferent to Darcy’s lack of a physical act of respect.

“Which one?” Probably Thor.  Loki probably wouldn’t say anything, if he bothered to think of her at all after leaving.

She hoped he had.  She hoped he regretted that he left every second.

“Thor.  He says you are studying the artistry of policy.”  Darcy raised an eyebrow.  Ok, small talk before we got to the pretty green-eyed baby-sized elephant in the room.  She could do that. He seemed to be taking her in, seeing who this was that had caught his son’s interest.  She stood up taller and looked him in the eye.  If she was going to be judged, she wasn’t going to go into it slouching.

“Political science, yes.  I wanted to be able to help people. In fact, I have recently been told that following my graduation in a few weeks I shall be considered for a job as part of the public relations department of the Avengers.”  She was proud of that.  It would mean a move to New York, but she could deal with that.  Her mother lived in Pennsylvania, so she’d be overjoyed to have her daughter less than a day away.  Cool.  Her mom could baby sit Ariana.

“An interesting profession.” She raised an eyebrow.  She got the impression that ‘interesting’ might not be the word he had wanted to use. “Given the stories I have heard of the Avengers adventures, it seems a woman who can speak to the masses on their behalf is a good thing to have.”  Odin paused before turning to his son and resting a hand on his shoulder. His eyes softened. “Thor, Leave us.”  Thor hesitated, sparing Darcy a glance before obeying his father.

“I fear I must ask a lot of you, Darcy Lewis.” He stated as soon as his son left the room.  “First, may I see my grandchild?” Darcy was reluctant to hand over her daughter to a man who was a stranger to her except in stories.  However, this was her daughter’s grandfather.  And Thor promised the child would be safe, and Thor had yet to break a promise to her.

She carefully handed Ariana over to him, watching to make sure he was holding her correctly.  Grandfather and granddaughter looked at each other in awe and both seemed to be searching out who exactly this other person was.

“She looks like her father at this age,” he commented finally. It was amusing to see the King of a few minutes ago relax in a way that seemed so human.  While Darcy knew that there were people who simply did not like children, there were few she had met so far who could resist Ariana’s smile. Darcy wondered why she had remembered to bring her iPod, but not her camera.  Then remembered her iPod HAD a camera and took it out to take pictures for Ariana’s baby album.

Odin did not seem to notice her taking pictures, as he was still watching the little girl, rocking her slightly. Perhaps he just did not care.  Did they have photographs in Asgard?  They seemed technologically advanced, but their culture seemed steeped with the past. She wondered if she could convince Thor to show her Loki’s baby pictures.

Darcy jumped slightly when the throne room doors were thrown open and Frigga rushed in, eager to see her first grandchild.  Darcy wondered if everyone on Asgard was super strong because those doors seemed heavy and thick to her but Frigga had thrown them open like they were made of bargain bin plastic.

This was really going to make getting things child proofed hard, wasn’t it?

“Let me see her!” Frigga stated her tone that of new grandmothers everywhere who felt they needed to be the one to hold the child first. Odin obliged his wife, and handed the little girl over.  Frigga’s smile became watery as she beheld her granddaughter. The King seemed to leave the man’s stance even more as he beheld his wife holding Ariana.

“What is her name?” She asked softly, briefly looking up at Darcy.

“Ariana Madeline Lewis.” Darcy said, relaxing slightly herself. They weren’t acting like they were going to take her away. They looked like grandparents who just wanted to see their grandchild.  It was very human-like, she supposed.  Maybe it was one of those universal truths or something. “Madeline is my mother’s name,” she added to fill the silence that followed her statement.

“Her family name on Asgard would be Lokidottir,” Odin stated, returning once more to a more formal stance.  “Ariana Lokidottir.  Our customs do not usually have so many names. She will no doubt be addressed as Princess Ariana or Ariana Lokidottir.  This is not an attempt to remove your mother’s influence.”

Darcy decided to hold back that she didn’t think that Lokidottir was going to go well when she got to school. She had a feeling that telling the King that his granddaughter would not be spending the majority of her time in this realm would probably be a bad idea.

“Thank you for allowing us to see her,” Frigga said, attempting to lessen the tension that had arisen.  She gave her a husband a look before continuing.  “We weren’t sure Thor would be able to convince you to come, especially as it seems you and Loki did not end things amicably.”

“That is one way to put it,” Darcy said, trying to rid her voice of her irritation.  She would save that for Loki whenever she got to see him.  It wasn’t Frigga’s fault her son had decided to have a double life.  She would rather not discuss the whole identity issue with his parents either. That conversation was saved for Loki himself.

 “You mentioned other requests,” she continued, trying to change the subject before she started a rant that she didn’t think Loki’s mother would want to hear.

“Yes,” Odin answered, moving from behind his wife. “It appears that during the last year and a half my son has been under the influence of an object we call the Casket and humans had started to call the ‘Tesseract’.” His hands clasped behind his back. Frigga moved off to the side where she could sit down, rocking the baby as she did so.

“I’ve heard of it.  My friend Erik was working on a project to use it as a power source.”

“Yes,” Odin responded, his tone implying that he knew exactly what that power source was for, and like his eldest son, was not too happy with the idea.  “It appears the device caused mental harm to my son.  In order to heal him, the Old Woman has requested that you be brought to Asgard.  I’m not entirely sure how she intends to use us, but she says we are all needed if Loki is to survive.”

“Survive?”  Damn it.  She supposed that if it had been something harmless she wouldn’t be needed, but it hadn’t dawn on her that he would be dying from whatever it was.  Or that she would care.  But as soon as Odin let on how serious it was her heart had dropped.

It seemed she still cared for the jerk, even if his name was different and possibly had a completely separate personality.

“Indeed.” Darcy whirled around to see the old woman standing a few feet from them. “Loki must face the demons that the Tesseract has used to harm him.  Each of us must take the journey with him.  His sváss most of all.  You are his tether as he searches to find his way out of the darkness.  He must see the possibilities of his future,” she added, pointing towards Ariana.

“What do we need to do?” Odin asked.

“You must travel with him in his mind space.  The journey there will be easy.  The journey while there will not.  But first, she will go.  Then the father will travel, followed by the brother, the past love and the man whom he owes retribution. Each shall have a day, but she must carry all.”

“Whoa.  Wait a second.  What do you mean carry all?  And ‘travel in his mind space’?  I’m not sure I want to be in crazy land.”  She also made a note to ask Thor what a sah-vass was.

“You shall be the link between the unwanted and the one who wonders.  You will prepare him for his journey.  No harm will come to you.”

“Please, Lady Darcy, he needs your help.”  Darcy turned back to Frigga who was looking at her pleadingly.  This was Loki’s mother, not his queen.  She was begging her to help her son.  Darcy looked down at her own child, and knew she would plead the same.

Plus, if Loki went insane she couldn’t really yell and rave at him, now could she.

Ariana choose this moment to surprise everyone by turning blue, giggling the whole time.  Darcy simply smiled at her daughter; Odin acted as if nothing had happened.  Frigga, however, seemed to know what Ariana found so amusing about shocking people with her shape shifting abilities and grinned down at her granddaughter, leaning down to kiss her on the markings on her forehead.  That image, which she managed to catch with her iPod camera helped solidify her decision.  These people accepted her daughter despite the fact that Ariana was different. She knew as her daughter grew up there would be other differences between her and other human beings, and she would need help knowing which change was something she should go with the flow with and what she needed to be concerned about.

There was also the thought that Ariana would probably not forgive her after that conversation when she was older when she had to be told that her mother had let her father die simply because of a broken heart.

“Alright, I will do it.  But I want you to walk me thorough the process.  Use small words and go slow.”

~*~

Loki felt nothing.  He saw nothing.  He heard nothing.  He sensed NOTHING.  He couldn’t even feel his own chest move as he breathed.  He knew he was alive, and every once and awhile a memory would flash by him, but he always returned to this nothing-ness.

Not quite nothingness.  While usually silent, occasionally he would feel the oppressive weight of something upon him.  He would know there were whispers but he couldn’t hear them.

It hadn’t been this non-existent in the fall between the Bifrost and when he awoke with the Chitauri.  Then he had felt pain, lots of pain, but somehow the lack of any feeling felt worse than the massive amounts he felt under their hands.

He never thought he could find a new level of loneliness then what he had felt for most of the last year.  But he could honestly say he had never felt as alone as he did right now.


	4. The Walk of Odin

Darcy had been stripped down to her underwear. The Old woman would have preferred complete nakedness on her part, but Darcy put her foot down. The “See Darcy in all her glory” club had a limited membership and she’d like to keep it that way. Not to mention she had just given birth two months ago and wasn’t ready for the post-baby body pictures quite yet.

She settled herself into the tub, surprised at how the liquid that surrounded her felt odd, but not uncomfortable. It was warm, and relaxing. She supposed that would be a good thing. Hard to go into a trance when one was uncomfortable. It had a slight thickness to it as well. She amused herself by lifting a hand full of the stuff and watch it web between her fingers before sliding down to join the rest in the tub.

Maybe she could get the recipe. She could use this after going to meetings with the Avengers.

“You need to relax your limbs,” The old woman stated, standing at the bottom of the tub. “The liquid will allow you to float. You do not need to do the work yourself.”

“Easy for you to say,” Darcy mumbled, letting her hand move away from the bottom where she had been lifting herself up from. As the woman had said, her body began to float to the top, the liquid flowing around her as if it was alive itself. It was soothing, although the thought of being in _living_ goop was a little disconcerting to her.

“Relax,” the Old Woman repeated. “I shall lead you into the trance, just as I explained.” Darcy nodded, and closed her eyes, using the breathing exercises she learned in prenatal yoga class. The old woman (Really, Darcy thought to herself, someone should ask her what her name is. Calling her the old woman was getting, well, rather old) began to recite some words over her in a rhythmic pattern. Darcy had no clue as to what she was saying, though she suspected it was one of those cases where the words mattered little, rather the pattern mattered.  For all she knew she was reciting some dirty ditty.  That thought made Darcy smile.

She felt a shift in her sensorial perception as the trance began to take hold and brought her into Loki’s mind space. She opened her eyes to find herself sitting in a field, the wind blowing around her lightly. It was a peaceful and beautiful setting and not one she related to Loki. For some reason she had imagined some place involving metal, not a place so organic. The beauty she understood. Loki had a sense of beauty; he had grown up in Asgard. It was just the simplicity of the area.

She didn’t see him anywhere around her, and that concerned her. She didn’t want to wonder around his mind. She might be pissed at him, but that didn’t mean she wanted to invade his privacy. But she only had half an hour to prepare him for what he was about to go through, so she couldn’t wait for him to come to her.

She stood up from where she was sitting, and noticed her clothes had changed into a dark green top and a pair of black pants. Acceptable. Not necessarily her choice in clothes, but nothing out of the realm of possibility for her to wear. She just preferred comfy layers to dressy causal. She looked around her, spotting a lake down the hillside, with a few boats in the distance. She finally spotted him, sitting at the dock, dressed in more simple clothes then she had expected. Whenever he was Loki he had always been dressed to the nines, either in his green, black and gold uniform as a warrior or in a top of the line business suit. Here he appeared to be wearing a plain green shirt a few shades lighter than her own, and a pair of pants rolled up to his knees, with his feet in the water. He looked at peace.

~*~

Loki had felt her in his mind as soon as she arrived.  The sensation was unusual, but felt slightly familiar.  He didn’t move from where he was sitting, and waited for her to reach him.

“Fancy finding you here,” she stated as she reached the dock.  “Nice place.” He could sense that she actually appreciated the environment he had managed to scrap together.

“It’s a lake I visited often on Asgard when I wanted to get away from the court.”  There had been times in his long life where he had just wanted to be alone, without the stress of being Thor’s brother.  He loved his brother, but there were times that it felt like most of his time was spent talking Thor out of really bad ideas. 

“Ah,” she stated before sitting beside him. “You’ll have to show me the real place when you’re done here.”

“Somehow I doubt you’d ever come to Asgard.”  She raised an eyebrow.  She seemed amused by something he said.

“Dude, I’m in Asgard. How else do you think I got in here?” She smiled a bit. “Unless you think I’m some kind of hallucination, in which case I have to ask how often to I visit you when you dream?”

“More than is probably wise,” he stated honestly.  He couldn’t reach the memories of her, of why she was familiar, of why she felt _right_ or why he felt the need to reach over and take her hand.  It was all so hazy.

“Well, hate to tell you but I’m not a dream this time. I’m your Marley.” 

“I take that is some kind of Midgardian reference, but I really have no clue what you are on about.” His voice sounded tired, even to him.  He also felt annoyance, because apparently he was incapable of lying within his own mind space.  He hated not being in control, especially when it should be a place where he had all control.

“Yes. Now I know what movie to make you watch when you are done getting your head fixed. Or maybe I’ll just get you the book, unless the book lover was just part of the act of being Aaron.”  Loki was more annoyed now; apparently he hadn’t liked the reminder either.

“If you are going to pester me, you might as well go.”

“Oh, I’ll pester you all right, but it’s not my turn.”

“Turn?”

“Yep, like I said. I’m your Jacob Marley, here to let you know that you’ll be having visitors and you’ll have to deal with your issues so you can realize there is more to life then doom and destruction. Rainbows and Unicorns also exist.” She paused.

“Do I have any say in this at all, or is once again my thoughts on the matter to be ignored?” Bitterness tinted that comment. 

“No. Not really. You are going to do this because otherwise you are going to be trapped inside your own head to drown, which would no doubt suck for you. You are going to do this because there are people out there who care deeply for you and want to see you get better and despite everything I read they all seem like good people. You are going to do this because you should be there for your daughter. But mostly you should do this for yourself and stop being stupid.”

Loki was angry.  Angry at being called stupid, at her commentary about his family (what did she know) and that she presumed to order him around.  However, before he could get out a biting remark, one particular bit of information filtered in.

“Daughter?” A faded image seemed to appear before him but it disappeared before he had a chance to comprehend what was in front of him.

“I believe that is what I said.” There was part of her taking delight in playing with him right now. It wouldn’t hurt him any. “I would go into that more, except like I said it’s not my turn. Actually my time is up. Now it’s time for you and Odin to discuss things.”  Loki tried to grab her as she faded away, but wasn’t able to and he was left alone on the dock contemplating Darcy’s words.

And dreading the arrival of his father.

~*~

Darcy opened her eyes.  The transition went smoother then she had anticipated.  Standing above her was the old woman with a neutral expression.  When Darcy didn’t immediately leave the tub, she raised an eyebrow. 

“Fine, Fine, I’m out.”  She raised an arm and the old woman grabbed her arm and lifted her to a standing position. Darcy stepped out and onto a mat and watched as the mind-glop (as she had decided to call it) disappeared off her body with a wave of the old woman’s hands.  She handed Darcy a robe.  She held back a chuckle at the sudden idea that popped into her head of feeling like she was at a spa. _Welcome to Asgard Resort.  Where you can indulge in mind-glop baths, get decadent robes, and finally figure out what the hell is wrong with your boyfriend._

“That went better than expected,” the Old Woman stated as she led Darcy to a small area where she could change her clothes.  “I must look into that.”  She wondered back into the room, leaving Darcy alone wondering what she meant by that.

~*~

When Odin finally arrived the peaceful lake setting had changed into the throne room. Loki stood leaning against the wall, in full armor. Odin wondered if it was wise to have him go first. Perhaps someone a little less at odds with his son would have been a better option, Thor or his mother for example. It was clear from Loki’s need to put them in this place that he was uncomfortable with the situation.

And clearly furious. However, Odin had expected this. His son held him responsible for many things, and it would take a while for the two sort through their issues. A few hours were not nearly enough.  Part of him thought of taking on the armored look as well, but Sif’s comment from earlier with her tone, oddly tinted with warning, during breakfast came into remembrance.

_Forgive me, All-Father, but perhaps being his father first, and not the All-Father would be the best course of action._

“Well, _Father_ ,” Loki greeted, and Odin grimaced slightly at the acid dripping in the title. It broke his heart to hear his son say it like that. “What is that you have to say to me? Apparently I have a long list of visitors today.”

“Only me today. The Old woman will not permit more.”

“Why do you all refer to her as the old woman?  She is old and a woman yes, but I believe after so many years one could call her by a name.”

“She has never told us her name.”

“She told me,” Loki stated with a smile.  He always enjoyed when he got to show that he knew more than those around him. Odin had never figured out if it was in desire to prove his worth since he was not the physical warrior as his brother or simply a desire to prove he was better.  It hadn’t mattered to Odin that his youngest son used tricks and sly moves to fight his battles.

Loki thought before he acted, and therefore his actions, for the most part, were thought out and not knee-jerk reactions as Thor tended to do.  While he could come up with plans at a moment’s notice, he preferred to have well thought out plans.  It was why Odin’s youngest son rarely lost the battles he choose to have.  It was the ones forced on him that caused him to act erratically.

“She taught you much. I can only assume that the mentor-protégée relationship granted you more privilege to call her by her given name.”

“Romana. That is her name. Or it was when she was once called something other than the Old Woman.” Loki stood and walked towards where his father stood. He stood and took in his father’s appearance.  Unlike Darcy, his father had a little power over how he appeared.  Loki kept his surprise tightly wound, knowing that if he didn’t, Odin would be able to pick up on it. 

“Did you know she comes from a planet that destroyed itself in order to save itself?” Odin stated, remembering the story she had told him as a youth. “A paradox I would think. She was one of the last of her people. She claimed they had gotten too proud, felt themselves too above it all that they hadn’t seen the danger till it proved too late.” A lesson Odin wondered if he was to learn himself.

Odin put his hands behind his back, clasping his hands together and walked the short distance to his chair and sat down. He closed his eyes and when he opened them the landscape had changed into the room the family had frequented when his children were small. It was a warm room, with comfortable furniture, worn with use.

 Frigga’s weaving and sewing equipment to one side opposite a large wooden desk with detailed carvings relating to the history of Asgard. Odin would take his work there while he watched his children play, either on the floor between his wife and his work areas, or through the windows into the private lawn and garden.

Loki looked displeased. Odin had lived long enough to know a few tricks of his own. He had chosen this because he was here as a father. Not as the King. Sif’s advice was sound, even if he hadn’t wanted to hear it.  They were here because he took his role as All-father as a higher priority than that of Loki’s Father. 

“Sit down, son. Even though we are not using our physical bodies, standing will be tiring.” Loki ignored the request, choosing instead to explore the environment that his father had created.

“So it is true then. Romana has sent you here along with Darcy to fix me like I’m some broken toy.”

“To help you, not fix you. I see Lady Darcy did not truly explain the situation. Your interaction with the Tesseract has left damage. Romana has sensed that it used our…unsolved family issues against you and unless we deal with them, you will continue to be slowly trapped within your own mind.”

“How thoughtful of her. Get along with your so-called relatives or possibly spend eternity in a make-believe world. Had she not considered that perhaps that latter is a more attractive option.”

“If you truly believed that, you would not be here. You are powerful enough still, my son.”

“I desire answers. That is all.” Odin nodded in response.

“And I shall try to answer them. But first you must ask. We never did finish our conversation.”

“And what conversation would that be?  The one where you told me I’m actually a monster or the one where you decided I wasn’t worth trying for?”

“The first, though that was not what I was telling you in either case. Yes, you are a Frost Giant biologically, and they have often been enemies of those in Asgard, but never have I thought them or you, especially you, a monster. I am sorry that you were ever taught to think that way.”

“How else was I supposed to think?” Loki yelled turning to face his father. His face clearly showed his anger, and sense of betrayal over the issue, but Odin hardly needed to see it. Romana’s warning that the experience would be as draining for him as it was for his son because there was no way to hide emotions in this space was certainly proven true. He could feel Loki’s emotions around him, crashing into the walls and reflecting back.

“You would tell Thor and I great stories about your battles with them, how they were going to destroy Midgard with another ice age. Told us how right you were to overtake them in battle, how righteous the fight was. How was that not depicting them as the villain of the story? “

As his son went silent, more of Sif’s words from earlier in the day about how if his plan was to make Loki return to Jotunhiem as their king, to rule over it in peace, shouldn’t he have allowed Loki to learn what it was to be a frost Giant.

Instead he had taught his son how to be an Asgardian. And his son had thrived, but also had struggled within the confines of what people expected of him.

“Clearly I failed to get across the message. The message was not about who was the hero, who was the villain. The message was that as King, we are obligated to protect those under our rule, or those who we have pledged protection. We don’t seek out war, but must defend ourselves.”

“You just made that up. You are a terrible liar, Father.”

“Yet you don’t believe I see you as my son. That would state that I managed to lie for thousands of years about my affection for you. Why is it you doubt my love, but not your mother’s?” That had bothered Odin.  That Loki could easily believe that Odin had not loved him, yet never had a doubt about Frigga. How could his son not see the affection _both_ his parents held for him?

“Why do I not doubt Mother’s love?  Simple. She never made me feel like I was the lesser son. In her eyes I’ve always been equal to Thor. I stand beside him not behind him.”

“So this is about the rivalry with your brother.”

“No.”  Loki’s frustration was clear to Odin and vice versa. It seemed neither one felt they could state what the issue between them was.

“Perhaps,” Odin said after a few moments of silence, “You will understand better after a few years of fatherhood yourself.”

“That is the second time someone has mentioned a child. As far as I am aware I have none, unless you include Sleipnir, but he is not a child of mine, merely a creature I helped create. And Darcy said it was a daughter.”

“Yes, a daughter it is. She looks remarkably like you did when you were young.”  Odin focused and brought forth an image of Ariana. He could not bring her physically into the mind space, but he could give his son a look at his child.

He also made sure the memory he drew from included the moment that Ariana turned blue while giggling. Perhaps, Odin mused, if his son could learn to love his daughter’s Jotun form, he could learn to love himself as well. Odin wasn’t completely blind and realized that some of Loki’s issues were in the fact that he saw the Giants as monsters, ergo he was one.

The Tesseract had amplified that. He doubted anything he could say could really dispel the thought.

“Hey Gramps, bath time’s up,” The two men looked over to see Darcy smiling at them from her position on the desk.  Unlike the last time, she wore an outfit more befitting a Princess of Asgard. Odin frowned. He knew that Darcy required the bath same as him. Had they immersed both of them in the same bath?  There hadn’t been any room for more than one person at a time.

“Bath time?”  Loki asked. What exactly was she up to.

“In order to facilitate the telepathic connection, Romana has us floating in a special solution meant to both strengthen the connection as well as protect any of those involved from psionic backlash,” Odin answered.

“So am I to assume that I am also in a bath?”

“Yep,” Darcy answered with a smile, “but don’t worry – Romana and your mom got you ready. And you are totally immersed with this funky air mask. Kinda cool looking. But she sent me in to let you know that the bath is becoming exhausted, if a liquid could become exhausted, and that it was time to leave. On the bright side, this stuff really makes your skin feel soft.  I bet she could market this on earth and make a fortune.  Hell, my mother might buy half the stock.”

“How are you connected?” Odin stated, and Loki seemed to catch the reason behind that remark because his eyes narrowed.  Darcy’s happy demeanor also changed, and she sent a glare towards his son.

“Apparently, Loki-Aaron here bonded us and we can communicate like this as long as we have some kind of physical connection, so the bath is only necessary for long term communication. I’m holding his hand right now. This is another thing that’s going on my list of things we are going to discuss when it’s my hour to do so.”

“Are you sure an hour is going to be enough,” Loki responded. “You seem to be coming up with quite a list.”

“Oh. Of course not.” Her tone matched his own and Odin had to keep from sharing his amusement. These two would be interesting to watch. “But I don’t want to over tire you quite yet.”

“So you think that having a conversation with you will tire me.”

“Who said anything about a conversation? “ She paused in her statement, looking like she was clearly paying attention to something they could not sense. “Ok, apparently we are pushing it, so time to wake up Odin. See ya later, Loki love.”  And with that she disappeared followed shortly by Odin.

Loki sighed in frustration.  He wasn’t sure what exactly Romana was up to.  He had been taught about mind space connections, but in none of those lessons had there been any mention of a bath being involved.   And he certainly never bonded with anything.  He knew that it was common enough amongst the Asgard to create mental bonds after decades of being together, but he had never found the need or want to create such a bond himself.

He briefly recalled the image Odin had presented him. His mother holding a beautiful little girl as she joyfully turned blue and then back to peach again. A mix of emotions surged in him.  Disbelief, sadness, happiness, distrust.

He closed his eyes and brought his emotions to an even keel.  If he understood correctly, he would be seeing Darcy and another visitor in a few hours.  He planned to be the one in control when he was visited again. 

So involved was his planning that he almost missed the fact that he hadn’t sunk back into the blackness, but instead was in a new place, a rooftop with a set of lawn furniture. 


	5. Interlude

Odin Borson stood at the window of his chambers and stared out into the night. The interlude with his son had left him unsettled and unable to sleep. It felt like they had gotten nowhere. The one chance he had of speaking with his son without his son being able to run off and he had wasted it.

Odin wasn’t used to not being able to fix things. In his centuries of leadership, Asgard had lived in peace, a few minor scrimmages that were easily finished without much bloodshed. He was able to run the realm as well as protect several others and not fail.

Yet somehow he had failed with his son.

He had raised both his sons to be capable rulers. Thor had always had more in common with Odin then Loki. Loki was reserved and quiet, letting very few ever know what went through his head. He was intelligent and had over the years even assisted Odin in plans for Asgard. Odin had always been a doer rather than a planner. He supposed it was one of his few failings. He had learned from his father that you should think before you act, which was a lesson he had to teach Thor by sending him to Midgard. Loki had always been a planner. For everything he did, he had planned for months, usually having one or two back-up plans. He rarely acted rashly, although he did like to cause trouble.

Which made his actions the last two years make no sense to his father. Loki had never craved the role of King as Thor had. He had preferred to be the one in the background, even though he would have been a capable leader should the need come. It made no sense for him to go to Midgard and take over in such a manner. Loki liked to manipulate a situation, not go in with force.

“Odin, what are you doing at this strange hour?”  He turned to face his wife at the sound of her sleepy voice. Most of Asgard was asleep at this time. She walked over to join him at the window.

“Thinking, my dear,” he responded with a smile. However, thousands of years of marriage had made Frigga well aware when her husband wasn’t completely forth coming. It didn’t take much to connect his ‘thinking’ to his recent experience with Loki.

“He’ll be fine, Odin. We have to trust in that.”

“He does not believe I love him.”

“He is still reeling from the shock. I’m sure in time he will come to understand that you are his father, no matter what his genetics say.” She tilted her head and leaned against his shoulder, pausing to think over her next words before she said them. “You told him he was supposed to be king of Jotunheim. You never got to tell him the rest. Perhaps you should write down your thoughts, the whole story, in a letter for him to read once he is able. Maybe having physical distance might allow him to hear your words as well as allow you to be able to figure out what you wish to tell him. Right now, he can’t help but think of those moments when he learned he was not what he thought he was.” She placed a hand on her husband’s elbow, and he brought his own up to join hers.

“Perhaps. Perhaps Thor will get through him when he visits him tomorrow.”

“You know,” Frigga commented as she began to drag her husband away from the window and towards their bed. “Loki reminds me a lot of you. There’s always a reason for what he does, even when it’s hard to see it.”

~*~

The blackness had returned a few hours after he was left alone with his thoughts, but this time it brought a friend. The whispers were louder, feeding into his insecurities. It was trying to drag him back in, destroy whatever progress he had made with his father and Darcy.

_Your real parents abandoned you. You were only a pawn in Odin’s games_

He fought against it. He knew this wasn’t completely true. Otherwise they would have given up on him already. While he hadn’t quite forgiven his father for how he dealt with it, he had come to realize today that his father had just dealt with it wrong, but he was still his father.

_They have given up. They celebrated your death._

Asgard might have. Thor didn’t. He swore he mourned Loki. Thor took his oaths and honor seriously. Unlike Loki, he rarely lied, and if he had, it was almost always a lie of omission rather than an outright lie.

_Did he really? After all you destroyed on both the home realm and his adopted world? Does he still forgive you?_

Thor had told him so when they got to Asgard. He had managed to get Odin from banishing him.

_She doesn’t love you. She loves a mirage. You are just the look-alike replacement._

She doesn’t know better. He didn’t know what he felt for her, but he had always known her concern for him was an offshoot of her love for his alter-ego. The whispered words still stung though, feeding into his feelings of being unlovable.

_That little girl would just be corrupted by you. You destroyed her mother’s home and broke her heart with your lies. What would you do to her?_

He tried not to bring up the image in his head of the little girl Odin had shown him, the girl who had green eyes and a head full of dark brown hair and a tendency to turn blue. He hadn’t missed Odin’s thoughts behind that. He didn’t want her to feel like a monster too. But she was only half Jotun. Perhaps her mother could prevent that.

_You are a monster. Or have you forgotten what you have done. You told the Widow she’d never clear the red in her book, but what about you? How far in the red are you now, Laufeyson?_

~*~

In the middle of the night, Darcy woke with a start at the sound of her daughter crying. At first, she just sat on her bed, breathing deeply, trying to catch her own breath. It had felt like someone had tried to rip her heart from her chest, something cold and foreign pressing down upon her.

She ran to her daughter’s room, and picked her up, rocking her to calm both her daughter and herself. Something was coming after them, she could feel it. She knew she was more fanciful then Jane, who would only believe something if there was physical evidence and about three peer-reviewed articles about it. But, sometimes she just knew.

For example, she knew the moment her father died despite being hours away and having no idea there was a problem.

She knew she needed to take that internship though physics sounded incomprehensible to her and despite what she said she really didn’t need those six credits.

Or how she knew that guy who yelled at her for taking his parking spot was going to leave a lasting impression on her life.

She. Just. Knew.

Right now though, she knew something was trying to come after her and her daughter. The feel of something cold with the ability to reach into them without physically being there, pressing down on her chest. She still felt the phantom touch, even as she held her daughter against her. It did not feel friendly in any sense of the word. She could tell that the presence that had caused it was gone, but that did not make her feel much better.

She paused in her pacing for a moment before turning towards the door. She left the room and found herself in the hallway without any idea of where to go to find Romana, the only person she figured who would give her answers. Clearly, there was something new at stake here. If the woman did not already know of it, she no doubt could figure something out.

“Lady Darcy?”  Darcy jumped at the voice, not expecting anyone there in the hall. Ariana didn’t like the disruption, letting out a little cry, but as soon as her mother rocked her again, she quieted down. Darcy turned her attention to the warrior, Sif, who had been sitting on a cushioned bench outside of her suite.

“No need to call me that, Lady Sif. Darcy is just fine.” She said with a smile. She knew Thor had mentioned that there would be someone to protect her, in case of extra curious citizens, but she hadn’t expected to know the person sent. She also was unsure on how to interact with Sif. Sif was a goddess, and one of Thor’s closest friends. She was also someone who had been on an opposing side to Loki, with legitimate reasons to dislike the younger prince.

“You are the mother of royal,” Sif stated, seemingly figuring out part of the issue. “You are rightfully to be held in honor. However, if it will make you more comfortable, I will call you Darcy. By that same token, you can call me Sif.” She gave Darcy a reassuring smile.

Sif had only known this woman briefly from those hours spent on Midgard with Thor. However, given Thor’s respect for her and the stories he had related afterwards, she seemed to be a remarkable Midgardian. She wished to know more about her, especially now that she stood to be the one to help Loki, and would no doubt be visiting Asgard often with her daughter. Sif held no illusions that she would stay on Asgard permanently. Most people were partial to their home realms.

“Do you happen to know where Romana is?” Darcy asked after a moment of silence where both women tried to figure out how to address the other.

“Her rooms are next to the healing chambers,” Sif replied, holding a hand out in that direction. She started to move, knowing that Darcy would follow her. “Is something wrong with your daughter?” Her tone held genuine concern. Asgard was not unfamiliar with hybrid children, so she knew that many had problems during their early months in adapting to their mixed heritage.

It made her wonder about Loki and how in all their years of friendship, love and even distrust she had never once guessed he was not the son of the King. Her mother had told her that there had been rumors when Loki was first introduced that he wasn’t actually Frigga’s son, but the son of one of Odin’s other lovers whom Frigga had adopted.  But no one had thought him not the son of Odin.

“Yes and no. It’s hard to explain.”  Darcy bit her lip as she tried to sort her thoughts. “Most people will assume I am crazy. Which is probably not the right way to start this, but it’s out.”  She paused once more. “Have you ever felt like something was sitting on your chest even though no one was there?”

Sif frowned. Her medical knowledge was rudimentary. “I have heard panic attacks referred to as such, but somehow I suspect that is not what you believe this is.”

“No. It felt like someone sat on my chest while trying to yank out my heart at the same time. And either Ariana felt it too, or she picked up on my distress. I’d rather Romana checked her over to make sure.”

“Sound decision. I have learned that instinct is often a good indicator. If you feel danger, there is a possibility. You should know there are plenty here who would do their utmost to protect you and your daughter from harm, I included.”  Before Darcy had time to respond, they had reached Romana’s quarters, only to find the woman standing at the door.

“I see you felt it too,” she said to the two women, reaching out for the child. “Come inside. We need not speak this to the halls.”  She led them into her room which was smaller than Darcy’s guest quarters. There was a small sitting area next to the door with an archway that led into the bedroom. Inside the bedroom was a larger four-poster bed, a desk area that was remarkably clean and organized and a larger wardrobe with an old fashioned pocket watch wrapped around the one handle.

Romana noticed Darcy’s curiosity and smiled as she walked towards the wardrobe itself, shifting the baby into one arm so she could open the door while safely holding Ariana. She walked into the wardrobe, leaving the other two outside in confusion.

“You are coming, aren’t you?” she asked from inside the wardrobe.  Darcy shared a glance at Sif who looked equally unsure about the turn of events. She walked towards the door, opening it wider and stepping in, finding herself not in a wardrobe at all, but in a room, with a raised platform in the center with some sort of console and a curved golden staircase to the right.

Sif was equally in awe. However she had learned to hide her reactions behind a mask, and was able to hide the fact that she had never before seen transdimensional space. Unlike Darcy however, she had been aware that it was possible. However this form of magic had not yet been developed in Asgard. There had been rumors that Loki had the skills to create such a room, but there had been no proof. When asked he would just smirk and remain silent.

“Now this is what I call a walk-in closet,” Darcy said when she finally focused back on the other two in the room.

“It is called a Tardis,” Romana explained as she led them to a doorway beneath the stair case. It led to a room that was painted a light blue but still had the obvious signs of being a medical facility. It was more advanced than what Darcy had ever seen. She watched as the older woman placed the baby on an examination table made especially for this purpose. “It means Time and Relative Dimensions in Space,” Romana continued to explain as she gathered a few things and put them on a stand beside the baby. “The granddaughter of a colleague of mine coined the term.”  There seemed to be a kind of melancholy in her words. As if she hadn’t seen her friend in some time. Darcy decided that it would probably be rude to ask and instead pretended she hadn’t heard the sadness behind the words. Romana focused on examining Ariana to make sure there had not been any harm done to her by whatever force Romana, Darcy and Ariana had felt.

“How come I did not feel this presence when you two did?” Sif asked, slightly irritated by the fact that clearly she had failed in her duty to protect her charge. She had always prided herself in being observant, but she had felt nothing.

“I am particularly sensitive to telepathic connections, my dear. I believe Darcy and Ariana were attacked because of their association with Loki. Thankfully, Ariana seems none the worse for wear. However I do believe she’s a tad bit hungry.” Sif did not look reassured.

“It is probably coming up on her normal eating time,” Darcy murmured, taking her daughter from Romana who had lifted her off the exam bed. “Is there any way to protect her for this?  I know I choose to help Loki, but I don’t want my daughter to pay for a decision I made.”

“The force that attacked you can’t really touch her. She hasn’t touched her father’s mind, not yet. She should be safe, but she will be able to sense it when it attacks you, and feel the backlash.”  Romana paused and then frowned. “You were able to protect yourself and your daughter remarkably well for a species that doesn’t usually have telepathic abilities that are activated. Do you mind if I exam you, Lady Darcy?”

“I suppose so,” she said with a frown.

“Please sit on the exam bed near the wall. It has a scanner I can use. It should be quick and painless and allow you to return to your daughter as soon as possible. Sif, could you hold Ariana for a moment?”

“Yes, of course.”  Darcy reluctantly let her daughter go again, caught between worry and amusement at the look Sif had on her face as she tried to establish how to properly hold the child. She supposed that warrior woman weren’t often asked to babysit their relatives. Once Sif had a proper hold on Ariana, Darcy joined Romana at the exam area. Sif followed behind, not wanting to be out of Darcy’s sight in case something went wrong with Ariana.  She was unaccustomed to holding children so young.  In fact, she had not thought to hold one until she gave birth to her own children.

“Please lay down,” Romana commanded in a soft voice. “I shall run the scan over you in three passes. Just relax, it should be done shortly.”  Darcy tried to do as she was told but the idea that she needed to be checked out worried her. She couldn’t understand a word on the instruments that Romana used. It looked pretty though. She assumed it was a language, but she supposed it could be a design. It was various circles interacting with each other in various patterns.

“It is Gallifrean,” Romana answered, having sensed her question. “Very few speak this language anymore, and even less wish to learn it. However, I agree. It does look beautiful.”

“Are you telepathic yourself?”

“Yes, on a limited level, though usually in connection to my Tardis or other Gallifreans. However, you are quite shouting your thoughts at the moment, dear. When we are through with Loki’s treatment, I must teach you some basic skills or else you will be shouting at any telepath that walks by you.”

“So I am a telepath now? Cool. Can I read minds?” Darcy couldn’t decide if she thought that was a blessing or a curse.

“Reading minds is not quite what it seems like. No, you are an outgoing telepath at the moment. Meaning I can read you, and perhaps Loki, as the two of you have connected and bonded, but you can’t really receive messages from anyone besides the one you are bonded to.”

“Bonded?” Sif asked in surprise, rocking slightly to help Ariana sleep. She had never heard of bonding happening with someone from Midgardian. It had been assumed by most that it was the life span gap that prevented such a bond from forming.

“Ah, yes. You weren’t there when I explained this.”  Romana turned back to Darcy and started at the beginning, knowing Darcy could probably use the reminder more than Sif. “The Aesir tend to bond telepathically when they join together. It assists them in raising their children, creating long term bonds with their spouse as well as somewhat permanent ones with their children. Both can be broken if need be. It usually is best to let them go on their own. Parental bonds lessen as their children grow, but usually do not completely leave. Spousal bonds are either constantly renewed or fade away with time and the pair is free to bond with new mates if they so choose.

“But neither Darcy nor Loki is Aesir,” Sif stated.  “I have never heard of a bonding with those outside Asgard.

“I can only assume that the Jotun have a similar system. After all, no one thought Loki was a Frost Giant until his father revealed it. If they had a radically different biological system it would have been obvious much earlier. As it is, I can only assume that the differences are mainly in size and external appearance. The inner workings appear to be the same.”   Romana paused to put down her scanner and bring up the monitor where the results would be placed. “However, I am not an expert on Jotun physiology.”

“What about me?” Darcy asked, wanting to know what the results were. Romana didn’t look up from her monitor as she started to speak once more.

“Well, humans tend to have the ability to cross-breed quite well. It’s actually quite unique really. Again, humans are not a particular knowledge base for me. I suspect that is actually a moot point. Ah, yes. You are only half human, Lady Darcy. According to my scans, your DNA has Aesir markers.”

“What?” Darcy wondered at Romana’s ability to make it sound like she told people they had hybrid DNA every day. 

“Without your parental DNA, I cannot tell you which of your parents was the Asgardian, but it would appear one of them was. The other was human. Would your parents be willing to share some DNA for comparison?”

“I was adopted; I don’t know who my biological parents are.” Darcy stared ahead, slightly in a daze. She had never asked about her biological parents after learning she had been adopted when she was sixteen.  Part of her didn’t want to think of herself as not being the actual daughter of Madeline and Pierce Lewis, and the other part felt like looking into her biological parents would be an insult to the parents she had that had raised her and loved her.

“Ah, I see. Well, I suppose mysteries don’t all have to be solved. This does however explain a few things such as your ability to bond with Loki, and your ability to fight off a telepathic assault without any training, or knowledge of your abilities for example.”

Romana noticed Darcy’s dazed expression continued and motioned Sif over with the baby. Sif handed over Ariana to Darcy who seemed to come out of wherever she had gone to focus on her daughter, bringing her arms up to take the child from Sif.

“It should be easy to find out which of your parents was Asgardian,” Sif commented.  Heimdall should be able to remember who visited Midgard around the time of your birth.  I can only assume that your father is the Asgardian, as you would have been born here if it had been your mother.”  Sif was slightly annoyed with the information.  Trips to Midgard, due to its current level of development were usually closely monitored.  Many went there for vacations away from Asgard, but they knew that they were to leave as little an impact on the culture as they could.  Thor and Loki of course seemed to have ignored that lesson.  She was slightly annoyed at herself as well, as she hadn’t thought of that when she had gone to get Thor.

Whoever was Darcy’s father was probably unaware that he had a child. Sif hoped anyway that man she most likely fought next to had the decency to take care of his progeny.

Romana noticed the contemplative looks on both women. Both also showed signs of weariness.

“Perhaps it is time you and Ariana get some rest.  You as well, Lady Sif. Tomorrow, we will be introducing Thor into Loki’s mind space. Tonight’s events will also be discussed. I fear we might need Loki out of his mental prison much sooner than this process will allow.”

“Will he be ok?” Darcy asked. “I have been assuming that he would be ok, that he just needs to be pulled back to the land of the living, but with someone attacking him, and us, will this change that?” Romana smiled at Darcy’s concern, while Sif watched her with a look that Darcy couldn’t seem to define.

“Loki Odinson has a strong mind, my dear. We just need him to remember that he is not alone.”


	6. The Path of Thor

When Darcy arrived in Loki’s mind space the next morning, she found him looking far from the put together prince he had tried to impose on her the day before. The mind space was murky white, and he sat on the ground, his head on his knees.

He looked ragged, as if he hadn’t slept in ages, which she supposed was quite true. Being in a magical coma was not the same as a good night’s rest. He was also fighting a semi-sentient glow box while he was at it. His hair was all over the place. He was shirtless, but still wore his leather pants, boots, and a leather wrist wrap. Had it been another situation, she might have found the look sexy, but right now her concern for him overrode her other emotions.

 She walked over and knelt beside him, placing her hands on his own. He looked up at her, the look in his eyes scaring her slightly. She had always been able to read his eyes. At this moment, however, there did not appear to be anything there. There was a tint of red to them, as if they were in mid shift between the Jotun and the Asgardian.

“Who are you?” he asked in a clipped tone. She could hear anger in the tone, but thanks to the mind space, she could also feel the pain and fear behind the words. She squeezed his hands, and crept closer. She wondered if he had been more at risk from the attack then they had realized.

“Darcy.”

“Why are you here?  Came to view the monster?”

“Does it seem like I see a monster?”  Her heart broke a little. What little progress they had made the day before seemed to have been undone, possibly made worse. She reached out to brush a piece of hair behind his ear. He moved away from her, glaring. She didn’t react, just continued on doing what she was doing, running a hand through his hair, which was shorter here than in real life.

She had no idea what she was doing. She knew that Loki was in a bad place, that he needed to be brought away from the bad memories, made to realize how many good memories he had. Make him focus on the good, but how does one do that with a stranger? Darcy knew plenty about him, or at least the version of him he wanted to portray on earth. She could tell him about nights spent on the rooftop telling stories, or that one time he tried to teach her some knife throwing tricks but they got caught by Jane who freaked out. But at this moment, he didn’t even recognize her, let alone have anything to get triggered by her stories.

She decided to start by getting rid of the environment. It was depressing and if they were going to help him out of this, it wasn’t going to help. Closing her eyes, she tried to think of the place they had been the happiest together, something that might start sinking into him, bringing out the good memories.

She opened them and smiled.  The grey nothingness had morphed into a familiar spot for the two of them, the rooftop of Jane’s lap.  In the center stood a neon lighted pole with the sign from the previous owners of the building.  Towards the front of the rooftop sat a series of beach chairs and a small metal fire pit for the nights when it got colder in the desert. She could almost feel the gritty tar-and-sand roofing on the floor under her knees.

 “Do you remember this place?” She asked Loki trying not to focus on the fact that he hadn’t removed her hand from his. In fact, his fingers had intertwined with hers, proving that there was something within him that recognized her as a friend, an ally.

~*~

Loki had been watching her as she switched the scenery around. He felt like he knew this person, but he couldn’t pull up the memories. She wasn’t hiding from him. She wasn’t holding back. When she finally spoke, she had such a hopeful expression on her face; he almost didn’t look away from her in fear of disappointing her.

He took his time looking around the environment she had created, strolling around the roof top. It was nighttime, but the area was lit enough thanks to a neon sign in the middle of the area. It had a great view of the town, being able to see directly down the main street.  There was even a slight breeze to lessen the intense warmth.

He had been here before. He couldn’t remember why it was important to Darcy though. After his brother had been banished, when he had lied to set himself up to look like the hero he felt his father deserved as a son.

He had failed, and his father’s look of disappointment would stay with him always.

_“No, Loki.”_

He turned around to face Darcy, trying once again to figure out who she was. He had always had great memory, so why would it change now? What was keeping him from knowing?  He focused in on her, walking slowly towards her. He began to smirk as he realized that behind the concern she had been sending out was attraction. She clearly approved of his shirtless-ness. Suddenly, a plan formed in his mind. He stood before her, only inches away. She stood her ground, with an eyebrow raised as if she questioned his intent to intimidate her.

He leaned in towards her, not losing eye contact, and kissed her, gently at first. He watched as she closed her eyes and pressed into him. Clearly, this was a familiar action to her. It certainly felt familiar enough to him to wrap his arms around her and close his own eyes as he deepened the kiss.

A memory drifted into focus for him at that moment. One of another moment where they had been lying on a blanket on the floor with him leaning on his side while she was on her back and they were laughing about something that had happened that day in the lab. She had smiled at him and made the ‘come closer’ hand signal. He had learned in, thinking she was going to jokingly tell him something in secret, only to find her lips on his in the first kiss. It had been short and sweet, but it had opened up the way for more.

The present kiss did not feel the same. He wasn’t sure if that was because this was in his mind space or because it wasn’t a first kiss. Perhaps there was a little bit of desperation on both sides.  For him, it was to remember. For her, it was because she thought this would be their last.

“Brother!” Darcy and Loki leaped back from each other and looked over to see Thor smiling at them both. He was clearly amused by interrupting them. Loki sent him a glare before turning back to Darcy who just gave him a smile and squeezed his hand, ignoring the blush that had risen to her cheeks.

“Time’s up. Play nice boys! I have to go get sword lessons,” she stated as she made her way over to Thor. “Talk about good memories,” she whispered so only he could hear. Romana had told her this countless times, but, at the moment, it seemed more important. “He needs to remember the good memories.” Thor nodded with a serious look on his face. With one more look at Loki and a wave, Darcy disappeared.

“Thor, your timing is remarkably bad, do you know that?”  Thor laughed, and smacked his brother on his upper back in camaraderie.

“There will be plenty of time for you and Lady Darcy to reacquaint yourselves when we have gotten you out of this place. We should do this with haste, unless you prefer to leave her alone with Sif as a companion?” Thor’s eyebrow rose suggestively, giving Loki an idea of what he thought the two women could be discussing.  Loki thought that the likelihood of Sif talking gossip while trying to teach someone how to use a sword was slim.

Thor decided that discussing their female companions was probably a safer topic then what he really wanted to ask. He wanted to know what had happened to his brother in the space between Asgard and Midgard. He wanted to know what had made his brother so cold during those days they had battled. What had changed the boy who wanted nothing more than to be equal, to the man who wanted nothing more than to be the ruler of all?

“So, I take you remember your relationship with Lady Darcy,” Thor asked, sitting on one of the lounge chairs. He appreciated the setting; it was one where he had good memories himself.

“Barely. I might have remembered more if it were not for your abysmal timing.”

“Fandral is jealous. He had hopes of wooing her, you know.”

“He would be unwise to do so,” Loki said, unable to hide the slight flash of jealousy that Thor’s comment had brought out of him. Without his memories, he couldn’t really put a claim on her. He turned around and looked out over the town. He decided to run the facts through his mind.

  1. He was trapped in his mind, a side effect of using the Tesseract or so it was thought
  2. So far Darcy had been to see him three times, his father once, his brother was now here. From the sounds of things he was to expect a different visitor each day till he was able to break free.



 

“I’ve gotten the impression that part of my rehabilitation is facing the grievances people have against me,” He commented, turning back towards his brother. “You might as well get on with it, brother.” The last word stuck in his throat slightly. He had finally come to terms that Thor would always be his brother. There was too much history between the two for him to be anything else. Thor seemed to refuse to see any other role for the man standing beside him than that of his baby brother.

“I have none,” Thor started but then stopped. This was a place of truth. His brother had always been able to tell when Thor lied. It had never been his strong suit, so starting to hide the complete truth in a place where everyone would know he lied, let alone his brother was unwise. “That is not completely true,” he finally admitted. “I have many questions to ask you, but I’m not sure you are ready to answer them.”

“You might as well ask. I am a captive audience, now would be the time. Whether I answer or not is my own decision.”

“Why?”

“Be more specific.”

“We can start at the beginning. Why did you come and tell me father was dead? Do you really hate me that much?”  Loki took in his brother’s wounded look; similar to the one Thor had worn when he had thought his actions had killed Odin.

The why to this question was hard to formulate. It seems so long ago, those days when he was struggling to handle the revelation. He wasn’t sure what was harder for him to comprehend. There was the fact that he was adopted, although that word didn’t quite fit the situation. He never had doubted his mother’s love, because he knew she was capable of so much, the idea of her sharing it with a child not her own seemed a forgone conclusion. However, Odin, he held responsible. It had been Odin who had shown preference for his true son, who had made it clear that Thor was the one to take the throne. The words, “ _You were both born to rule,”_ had long since become a phrase that held no meaning. Thor’s achievements were praised; Loki’s own treated as if he had met the minimum requirement.

The second fact of the situation was that his biological father was a Jotun, a king, who Odin often found himself at odds with. Asgard’s children were told stories about the Frost Giants.  ‘Do your chores or else, the Frost Giants might take you away!’  What had that made him, the son of such a creature?

“I needed you to remain on earth. I needed to show father I was worthy of being his son,” Loki answered. It was the truth, but it felt hollow in his mouth. The idea that he still sought Odin’s approval, his respect irked him. “That I was not Laufey’s son despite the blood that ran through my veins.”

“You never had to prove that, brother,” Thor stated. Loki found it surprising that Thor actually believed that. Then again, Thor had always been oblivious to the flaws in those around him. He was quick to anger, yes, but very quick to forgive those in his closest circle.

“Yes, I did.” Loki said. “I had to prove that to him, and I failed. I failed to prove it to myself, or accept the fact that my fate was not of my own choosing. One thing I managed to do when I was in the rift was accept that I was the monster my father made me.”

“You believe you are responsible for Laufey’s crimes?”  Thor said, surprised.

“I am Jotun. How could I be anything else?”

“Father said you claimed to be a monster, but I did not believe him. I do not believe you to be one either. Most monsters don’t claim to be one, Loki. They just are.”  Thor paused. “If you are responsible for your biological father’s crimes, then is your daughter responsible for your own?”

“What?”’

“By your logic, you are a monster because you are the son of Laufey and Laufey is a monster. If you are a monster, then following that logic, my niece is also one.”

“She is an innocent child!”

“As were you, my brother.” Thor stood and walked towards his brother, laying a hand on his shoulder. “Laufey may have given your life, but he does not own it. He forfeited any reason to influence it when he left you to die that night. He is a monster; his actions with you are evidence enough. You are not. Not unless you _choose_ to be.”

Thor’s hidden message was clear. He had not been a monster due to birth. His actions since he found out were of his own doing, and he could continue down that road, becoming the monster he intended to be, or he could choose to try and reclaim some of the Loki Odinson he had left behind.

Loki wasn’t sure how to answer that. It was clear his brother viewed him differently than he did himself, and his words about his daughter, who he barely knew, stuck with him.

What kind of fate was he leaving his own daughter?

“You have other questions.”

“Some of them have actually been answered already. I think the others can wait.”  He led his brother to the chairs and the two of the sat down. “Darcy is probably unhappy that I am sharing this with you, but she and Ariana were attacked last night.”

“Who would dare attack them on Asgard?” Loki’s voice was ice cold as he tried to suppress the anger at the thought of someone hurting his daughter, or her mother. He might not remember much about his relationship with Darcy, but this was his family.  

“We don’t know. It was a targeted telepathic attack. Sif was guarding her rooms and felt nothing. Darcy seems to think that something is after you, that he went after Ariana to get to you. She was quite angry that someone would attempt an attack on you or Ariana. She is with Romana, trying to find a way to fight back, since you are unable to do anything till we unlock the hold the Tesseract has upon you.”  Seeing his brother’s expression, he was quick to add “Father has taken action towards finding some way to protect them as much as we can. “

“Is there any way to hasten this process along?”

“Well, the idea was that you had to remember the good memories to come to terms for the most part with the bad ones. I am not sure how fast or slow that could take.”  Loki stood up and began to pace back and forth in thought. Thor just watched him, knowing that his brother could come up with a plan. He also knew that Romana was hidden away with Darcy and Sif in the real world thinking ideas of their own to help. They would save his brother from himself, and then get rid of this new attacker.

He knew that this would not cure Loki of all his issues, nor would it rectify what he had done. Thor still longed to know why Loki had done what he had to Midgard, and what had happened to him in the space between realms.

As his brother continued to pace, Thor got lost in the memory of his interactions with his brother on Midgard. That first meeting, looking at his brother and almost not recognizing him. The hate that Thor could almost feel burning into his skin. Loki had laughed at the idea that Thor had mourned him. At first Thor had thought Loki thought it was amusing that people had decided him dead. It wasn’t until he was back at the heli-carrier and could think that he had realized that Loki hadn’t been laughing at the idea he had tricked people, instead he had laughed at the idea that people felt the need to mourn him.

He truly believed himself alone, betrayed, and abandoned by those who loved him.

Suddenly, his words to Natasha came back to haunt him. He could only be grateful his brother had not heard him tell her that he was adopted. It had been an unkind gesture that he had only realized after he said it. He had abandoned his brother again, distancing himself from his brother’s crimes.

Had Thor not done similar acts on Jotunhiem?  How many people had died because a foolish prince craved war?  Would he be in a similar position if Loki hadn’t told the guard to inform their father?

He realized there were differences. He had been acting out of a foolish desire to prove he could defend his home from the Frost Giants. Loki had been acting out of a desire to show how he was equal to Thor and Odin, with a desire to earn their respect and show he could be a good ruler.

However, his desires were corrupted by whatever happened in that abyss. The Tesseract had wrapped itself around Loki’s wounded heart and pressed tightly to bring Loki to where he was. That hadn’t been all though.

There had been moments, when Loki looked like he wanted to give in, to turn back the floods he had instigated open. Those moments were short, however often, when Loki returned to wanting to destroy what was precious to Thor, it became a bit worse each time. It felt like he was tied down by some force which allowed him to come up for air, only to snap him back down.

Thor broke out of his thoughts when his brother suddenly grasped his head and bent over. It was only then that he realized how cold he was, and how dark it had become. He reached out and grabbed his brother on the arm, holding him upright.

 _Ah, Thor Odinson, the lesser minded one._ Thor kept ahold of his brother, even though Loki fought against it. This must be the one attacking his brother. _See, Laufeyson, even your brother comes to see the monster in its cage._

“Stop your lies,” Thor commanded. “I will not have you talk to my brother so.”

 _I shall talk to him as I want,_ the voice answered. _I only tell him the truth. After all, you unclaimed him as brother, did you not?”_

“You twist my words.”

_You see, Laufeyson. Your brother’s love is an illusion. You damaged his precious Midgard. You forced his hand into breaking the Bifrost, potentially abandoning the woman he had taken as a lover. How could he love you?_

“Loki, do not believe this lie!” Thor said, focusing all his energy and his love for his brother on the crumpled mental image of his brother. He just hoped it was enough.


	7. Loki Vs. Aaron

Thor was starting to wonder if he would be able to help his bother when Darcy appeared, a worried look on her face, her attention directly on Loki. Clearly she had heard the voice as well. Between the two of them they could keep his brother afloat. While Thor boasted him up, Darcy turned herself to the voice and pushed back at it, putting herself between Loki and the attacker. The voice seemed to be muffled, as if Loki and Thor had been put behind some kind of shield, deflecting what the person was saying.

After a few minutes, the voice retreated, and slowly the cold receded after it. Thor felt drained of energy, and he could only imagine what his brother’s lover felt. His concern for his brother grew as he now knew his brother had been a victim of the voice’s attack beforehand.

Thor took a moment to look around him. All three of them were curled around one another on whatever the bottom was of where they were. He could hear their breathing. Though he knew it was just a trick of the mind to make it seem real to him. Loki was in the middle, curled around Darcy with one arm still in Thor’s grasp.

“Thor, you should probably go and take a nap. I took one while you were in here, so I’ll be fine. I don’t think we should leave him alone for a while.”

“I do not need a babysitter.” Loki’s voice was weak, but his dislike for people trying to help him was still clear in the tone of his voice.

“Who said babysitter? Thor needs a nap, and you are too weak right now to keep yourself in any kind of hospitable environment.” Thor smiled slightly. Darcy could hold her own against his brother. Perhaps his mother was right, perhaps this relationship would work out to the positive.  He knew his mother was hoping for a marriage, and of course more grandchildren.  Odin’s thoughts on the matter were less clear, although he seemed to have some sort of respect for Darcy which was better than his ignorance of Jane.

Thor nodded a goodbye to Darcy and squeezed his brother’s shoulder before releasing himself from the trance. He opened his eyes to find himself back in the healing room, the solution flowing around him in a calming manner. He felt tired, very tired and almost wanted to nap right there. Before he could give into temptation, he felt the arms of his father and Romana help him out of the tub. Romana whisked away the left over liquid and allowed Thor to walk towards the dressing area. Thor turned back only once to see Darcy, lying beside his brother’s tub, their hands connected on the rim. The rest of his brother was submerged, but was slowly being reveled as Romana drained the tubs to be refilled with fresh solution.

Once dressed, Thor helped his father carry his brother (dressed in sleeping garments himself) into the sleeping chambers; with Romana leading Darcy who still kept a hand on Loki’s and kept her eyes closed, still within the dream world. They were both put on the bed.

“Darcy will remain with him tonight. She has a more powerful barrier and can protect him. Their connection will aid as well so neither will be overly tired out by being together.” Romana watched them for a second. “I was surprised he attacked while Loki had defenses. Thor was more in control of his own thoughts, could defend himself better than Loki can currently.”

“He?” Odin asked, noticing that she had given the voice a gender for the first time.

“Yes, the voice appeared to be coming from a male person, but without a direct connection I can’t be sure. When we continue the meetings, I shall confirm with Darcy. “

Odin said nothing, instead remembering how they had been eating in the ballroom, many of the warrior friends of Thor and Loki with them. It had been a more formal announcement of Thor’s engagement. Jane had been tested and found worthy, so they had a meal in her honor. Most of the main family had barely been up to the task, but had done so to keep those who were unaware still so.

He recalled how Darcy had been in the middle of relating a funny tale about Jane and Thor and a RV when she had suddenly paled and put a hand to her head.  She had looked at him, panic in her eyes and rushed out of the room, nearly knocking Vostagg down as he returned to the table from the dessert buffet.

“What about Ariana,” Thor commented, breaking his father’s thoughts. “Darcy said she has been able to feel the attacks.”

“I feel it might be best that Ariana remain inside the Tardis.  The trans-dimensional field will protect them.  In fact, it might be a good idea to move this entire task into the Tardis.”  Romana turned to Odin. “All-father, could you allow a few of your warriors to help me disassemble and reassemble the tubs within my Tardis?”

Odin nodded solemnly.  This was a private family matter, one he did not want used as gossip fodder around Asgard.  The men he chose must be ones who would not share. 

“The Warriors Three and Sif would be a good choice, Father,” Thor stated, knowing his father’s thoughts.  “They are already aware that there is a problem.  There would be no need to share the information with anyone else.

~*~

Loki was shivering.  Darcy kept herself close to him.  The attack had left her drained, but not nearly as much as Loki.  She could tell that had she and Thor not been there, Loki would have sunk into the nothingness like he had before.

“You needn’t stay,” he stated opening his eyes to look at her.

“I’m staying, so deal with it.  Although we probably should imagine up something a little more comfortable then this rooftop if we are going to be laying down in here.” She paused, biting her lip slightly as a grin grew on her face. “What does your room look like?”

He seemed to catch on to her amusement and managed after a few seconds to alter the scenery around them so that they were in his room.

It was larger than Darcy’s room, probably about twice its size.  Two of the walls were completely filled with book shelves that crisscrossed the wall and reminded her of a large wine rack.  They were filled with books of all sizes, and a few had loose paper.  The door to the bedroom was hidden behind the one book case.  She could only tell because the door was open slightly, reveling the door shape cut into the wall.

The two bookcase filled walls faced each other.  One of the remaining walls had floor to ceiling windows overlooking the cliffs and waterways of Asgard.  One of the windows opened to allow one to step onto a bronze balcony.  Inside was a desk on one side, covered in papers and writing instruments (part of her was curious – in this medieval yet way advanced culture, did they write with pens or feathers?).  On the other side sat a large chair, one that looked very comfortable and perfect for reading on lazy summer mornings.

The bed sat against the opposite all, a four poster with actual curtains.  It was done up in Loki’s favorite colors, Green and gold, but she imagined this was what the Slytherin dorms looked like.  The bed was amazingly comfortable, even in this recreation so she couldn’t help but wonder what it felt like in real life.

Above the bed, in between two of the posts was a display of various throwing knives, and a pair of swords she was pretty sure were more ceremonial then practical. 

“Do those ever fall on you,” she asked, still staring up at the arrangement. He seemed to feel better, as he pulled himself up to look at what she was pointing at.

“No, it has been magically sealed onto the wall.  It won’t fall down, and no one can remove it except me.”

“Had trouble with that?”

“When I was a kid, Sif and I would constantly would try and take the other’s swords,” he responded with a smile.  It made her smile that he was remembering good memories.  “Actually it didn’t really ever stop.  I believe the last time was right before Thor’s failed coronation ceremony.  She never did give me my one knive back.”

“So, what’s the deal with you and Sif,” Darcy decided to ask.  He was talking after all, she might as well make use of it.  She knew there was something there between the two of them.

“There is nothing between Sif and I,” he responded, settling himself on the bed so his head was held up by one arm and he was looking down at her.  “Not anymore.”

“So you were together once.”

“A few hundred years ago, yes.  But neither of us was ready or willing to try to be in any sort of relationship and our affection for each other lessened.  We have barely been friends the last decade or so.”

“She talks well of you,” Darcy said, confused.  Sif had not said anything about Loki that Darcy hadn’t already been aware of or was really negative in nature.  In fact, according to Frigga, it had been Sif who had finally told the All-father that his acts were not in fact as wise as he believed them

“I am her prince.”

“I think it’s more than that.  Even if it’s just in memory of your past friendship.  Your friends care for you.”

“Now there I would have to argue.” She shifted so she was level with him and could look directly in his eyes.

“Sometimes I don’t think you see as much as you think you do,” she finally said. “You only see what you believe you should see, and brush everything off as some kind of obligation rather then real love and affection for you.”

“You don’t know me,” he said, becoming angry.

“No, you are right.  I don’t know Loki, I know Aaron. I have no way of knowing how much of Loki was in Aaron.  I am however becoming more familiar with your family.  You are your brother’s best friend, your mother’s favorite son and your father is helping Romana every day trying to bring you back to them.  Your ex-girlfriend has been watching over me, making sure your daughter is safe.  These ex-friends of yours have been nothing but kind to me, asking me every day how things are going.  Well Vostagg and Fendral ask, Hogun just looks at me.   I think you are a little biased against yourself.”

“Fendral is in love with you,” he stated, ignoring the slight flare of jealousy. He was trapped her while she got to be with his family and friends was responsible for part of it, but also the idea that Fendral was capable of courting Darcy away from him, like he had in the past.

“Fendral is in lust with me, not love.  And even if he was, it’s not like I’m able to return his feelings. Sadly, for some odd reason, I had to fall in love with you.” Clearly this discussion was rousing her anger too.

“I’d free you from the obligation if I could,” he stated, his tone clipped and his words coming out faster in his anger. 

“Didn’t we already cover the fact that love is not an obligation,” she countered, unknowingly shifting herself forward as if her words would get into his brain better if she was closer. “It is not something you can control like your magic and words, Loki.  It just is.  Sure, you can help it along, or try to defend yourself against it but in the long run, it just exists and it will pull you up or under no matter what you have to say about it.”  She got out of the bed and walked towards the window.  She looked at them for a while, enjoying the scenery while trying to calm down.  She knew she was considered a romantic, and that there were probably people who thought her view of love naive and impossible. But how else could you explain how she could still look at the man behind her and feel the love she had for the man he pretended to be. She turned back to face him finally, only to see he had followed her out of the bed, and was currently leaning against the front left post. 

“Why do you believe so much in the idea that people do things out of obligation rather than other reasons?” She asked her voice low.

“After millennia of living I have found that most people do not act out of anything but obligation and self-interest.”

“Even yourself?”  Loki wasn’t an idiot, he knew she was asking more then was his actions self-serving.  Truthfully his actions usually were, even when they were for other people.  What she was really asking however was did he love her back.  Was Aaron Rogers a thin disguise or was she just something to pass the time with while he waited for the right moment to take the tesseract.

“Most of the time, yes.” He answered truthfully.  “Although I have found that sometimes what is best for me also means doing the best for another.”  Mostly Thor, he had to admit.  And perhaps his mother.  Not many people were held in high enough affection for him to do something that went against his self-interests.

Darcy was probably one of them, as he suddenly remembered a few things about their relationship.  It had been shifting in and out of his brain during his conversations with Thor, bare memories which he hadn’t really been able to put into any sense of order, but he had remembered one thing.

He had left because he hadn’t wanted to hurt her.  And he had failed there, just as he had failed to win his father’s approval, or the reigns over Midgard itself.  But somehow he was suspecting that it was this failure that would cut him the deepest of the three.  He hadn’t wanted to rule that much, he had just wanted to be seen as an equal to Thor, even if it meant being a destructive force to Thor’s restorative one.

“No wonder you can’t trust anyone’s love,” she commented after a few minutes of silence.  “I’m not sure you know what it is.”  She turned back around, and when he grasped her hand to make her face him once more, the memory she had been thinking of herself had transferred itself to him, widening as his own memories rose to join it.

~*~

_Loki leaned over the counter, spitting out the water he had used to rinse his mouth out. His body still shook with tremors and his head still felt like someone had smashed it with Mjlinor. He looked up at his reflection in the mirror and noticed his eyes were blood shot and his skin a shade paler then he had thought possible. However it was still a pale white, not blue._

_“Aaron?” He turned and looked at the doorway, which he had left open in his rush to relieve his stomach of its contents. Darcy stood there, dressed only in his work shirt, hair messy from sleep but alert and concerned. He closed his eyes and lowered his head down so it could lean against the cool countertop. Had his head not been pounding she would have made an attractive image._

_“I’m fine, love.” He didn’t speak louder than a whisper, as the raging headache he now had was made worse by loud noises. He thought briefly about taking some of the pain pills Darcy had in her medicine cabinet, but Midgardian medicine was far behind that of Asgard. One of the many reasons why he hated it here. Everything was so…devolved… that he felt like he was taking a trip to the past rather than a trip to another realm. The pills would do nothing against this headache, at least not the over the counter ones.  He had yet to try any of the multitudes of prescription varieties._

_“No, you’re not,” she stated walking towards him. Her soft hand rested on his shoulder, and he sighed at the feel of it. At the moment her skin felt so much cooler than his own, though he knew in reality her’s was so much warmer._

_Darcy was about the only thing about this realm he could stand. He could admit to himself he felt some guilt in using her, but sometimes the nights with her were the only thing keeping him somewhat sane. The Other were growing impatient. No matter what he did, his meetings with them always caused him pain. It was getting better. Now he just vomited and had a severe migraine. When he first arrived, the meetings left him nearly paralyzed on the floor. And often a faded shade of blue._

_Eventually he figured he’d be able to meet with them with only a twinge._

_“It is just a migraine. Go to sleep.” He didn’t need to look up to know she wasn’t about to let it go like that. He felt her place her other hand on his empty shoulder and attempt to lift him away from the counter._

_“For once let me take care of you”, she stated, leading him to sit on the lid of the toilet, his eyes closed at first, finally opening slightly to watch her.  She turned around and walked to her linen cabinet and reached to the top shelf and brought down a white tub with what looked like faded lettering.  It was no doubt some odd food or product container.  Darcy was a pro at recycling containers. She shifted through its contents for a while, before grabbing something and putting the container back on the top shelf._

_She then took a plastic cup she had on hand for rinsing and filled it with water before handing the cup and two white pills over to him._

_“It’s a heavy duty pain-killer.  Normally I wouldn’t share, but the other stuff doesn’t seem to work for you.  You aren’t allergic to anything are you?”_

_“Surprisingly, no,” He responded taking the pills and swallowing them dry before drinking the water.  Darcy made a slight face at him, not understanding how he could take his pills like that.  She took the cup from him after he was finished and put it back on the counter, before leading him back into the bedroom.  Leaving him to lay on the bed himself she walked around the room, pulling the shades closer to limit the light allowed in the room, and turned up the AC so the room was cooler, but not cold.  She had him lay on his stomach on the bed and left the room._

_The quiet of the room was helping, as well as the cool air that he felt on his skin. The medicine hadn’t kicked in, although he assumed it would soon. Midgardian’s had slower metabolisms then their Asgardian and Jotiun counterparts._

_“Lay still, hon.  I’m going try and relax some of your muscles, hopefully it will help the pain away. He didn’t move, not really wanting to anyway.  He was sure that there was very little that she could do to harm him.  There was also very little she could do to help either._

_He jumped slightly though when he felt a cold substance being poured onto his back._

_“It’s just lotion. Unscented, so don’t worry about having to smell like me,” she answered his non-verbal question. He had to smile at the teasing tone in her voice.  Darcy often tried to inject humor into tense situations. It was her way of redirecting things into more sustainable levels._

_She started to rub the lotion into his skin, pressing lightly on some areas as she went along.  It appeared to be working, slowly loosening the muscles in his back that had tightened during his visit to the Other.  The medicine also kicked in, oddly making him feel drowsy. The visit must have worn him out more than he had suspected, because he had never felt drowsy before._

_He fell asleep soon afterwards.  When he awoke, he found himself alone, with the curtains still drawn.  On the nightstand beside him were a glass of water and another set of white pills.  He drank the water, and forwent the pills.  The headache seemed to have dissipated.  He stood up and walked towards a window, testing to see if he was still reacting to light.  That too appeared to have improved._

_He walked out of the bedroom towards the kitchen where he heard noises.  He walked in on Darcy, still in his shirt, trying to find pancake mix.  Now that he felt better, he could admire the fact that someone had placed the mix on the top shelf, and Darcy had to reach up to get it._

_He walked behind her and reached up and got it, but decided not to move away, effectively trapping her in the space between him and the counter.  There was just enough room for her to turn around and face him and take the box of mix from him._

_“Thanks,” she said smiling up at him.  “Feeling better?”_

_“Much thanks.” His smile reflected hers and he leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips.  “Thanks for taking care of me,” he said straightening._

_“No thanks necessary,” she responded wrapping her free hand in his t-shirt. “But I do expect a better kiss.”  With that she pulled him back down and kissed him back. After a few moments, he decided to lift her onto the counter, making her slightly taller than him and making it easier on both of them to continue this.  Her hands soon found their way to his hair, like they always did.  She had an obsession with his hair.  Particularly when had just gotten out of the shower, and it was slightly wavy.  The first time she had admitted that she was attracted to that look he had just rolled his eyes and told her she really should her glasses on.   However he did learn to use it to his advantage over the past couple of months that they had been seeing each other._

_Apparently his lack of attention was noticed, and she brought it back with a slight nip of his bottom lip. He smiled into the kiss as he returned the favor.  When they finally let go of each other, they said nothing, just smiling at each other._

_It was a moment he would have liked to stay in for a while, but it was broken when Darcy spoke and his heart felt like it stopped._

_“I love you.”_


	8. The Strength of Sif

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Sif sit down for a chat, Loki argues with Darcy, and Fandral considers an opportunity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thanks to HarbingerLoki for beta'ing this for me.
> 
> I did see Thor II opening night, followed that weekend by Iron Man 3 finally, so there are some inconsistencies between this fic and those two movies. Its quite easy for me to fit in the changes needed for IM3, but Thor II has proven difficult. So the events in that movie are going to be a bit different. But it also opens up some interesting ways for this story to go as well.
> 
> Also, I developed a timeline for this story which kind of smudges the timeline of the movies, but no too badly. 
> 
> The events of Thor happened in January of 2011. The post credits scene in Thor happened in September 2011, and Avengers stays at May 2012. So the events of this fic take place for the most part in May-June 2012. Flashbacks take place between February-September 2011.

Chapter 8

 

It hadn’t taken long for the Warriors Three to transfer the contents of the healing room to Romana’s Tardis. She kept them on task as every so often they would look at the seemingly unconscious duo lying on the medical beds with curious eyes.

 

Darcy was crying. Romana feared that it might be a bad memory, but when she tried to search the girl’s thoughts, she found it was a memory they both needed to have if they were ever to repair their relationship, which she suspected would be important for Loki going forward. He needed to make those first steps, but Romana felt Darcy needed to be there to help him along after that.

 

She let them be till it was time for Sif, Loki’s former lover, to take a turn as Loki’s guide to rebuilding himself.

 

The Lady arrived early, for once without her weapons and armor. Today, she was dressed more as a lady of the court then as a celebrated warrior. Romana was pleased as it meant less for the Aesir woman to take off, but also it showed that she was approaching this as an one time friend rather than an enemy. This would be good when they were in the mindspace together.

 

“Are you sure it is wise for me to be doing this?” Sif asked, as she prepared herself for the solution. “Loki and I have not been on amicable terms in quite some time.”

 

“You once held his heart, Lady Sif. He still holds you in good esteem, even if you do not hold him likewise. However, I should warn you. He is guarded. He feels he has been betrayed, forgotten and tossed out. He may get defensive.”

 

“Loki? Defensive? Who knew?” Sif responded, sarcasm dripping from her words. She stepped into the bath as Romana and a healer aide worked Loki into his own. “I suppose one must give Darcy Lewis credit. She found a way to Loki’s heart and wants to keep it. She may be braver than us all.”

 

“Perhaps, perhaps not, Lady Sif. Are you ready?”

 

“Yes.”

 

~*~

Loki watched as Darcy stood facing away from him, not looking at him after that memory had thrown them both for a loop. That had been the first time Darcy had told Aaron - him - that she loved him. It had felt so good to look into her eyes and see such earnestness in them. She had loved Aaron with all her heart.

 

He didn’t know if he had it in him to be Aaron again. Part of him grieved that fact.

“Lady Darcy, you are relieved.” The two looked over to find Sif standing in the room. She was wearing a gold colored dress that Loki hadn’t seen since the last great feast before Thor’s coronation. Her dark hair was left down, curling around her face. He couldn’t help but smile at that fact. When they had been younger Sif had boasted long blond hair and had been quite proud of it. He had decided to play trick on her by using a cursed dagger to slice her hair off. She had never really forgiven him for that, but her brown curls were now what everyone was accustomed to. They looked well on her, as well as the golden locks had once.

 

“Thank you, Sif.” Darcy ignored him, fading from his presence without a word in his direction. He felt a little adrift without her presence there, but Sif was not one to tarry, so his attention was soon brought to her as she spoke.

 

“So this is your inner sanctum,” Sif said, her voice mildly teasing. “I would have thought it would be more grandiose than this.”

 

“I apologise that it doesn’t suit your tastes.”

 

“Don’t be miserable Loki. You knew I was teasing.” She sat down on a cushioned stool near the window. “You look better than how your brother reported.”

 

“You know Thor, he tends to exaggerate.”

 

“I saw Darcy running out of a hall with fear on her face. I do not think Thor exaggerated, at all.” She sighed. “Oh, for god’s sake Loki sit down. I’m not here to kill you or bring out your darkest secrets.”

 

“Not that you would get them.”

 

“Why are you here then?”

 

“Romana thinks it would a good idea if we talk.”

 

“About what? We haven’t had something to talk about in a good thousand years, Sif.”

 

“Oh, I disagree on that, Loki.”

 

~*~

 

“Are you sure you do not wish to rest, Lady Darcy?” Fandral asked, as he accompanied the younger woman down the halls of Asgard. He had been given the task of guarding her while Sif was in Loki’s mindspace. He did not envy his friend a bit, quite happy to say out of the madness that was Loki’s mind and stay with the quite attractive Lady Darcy. However, Lady Darcy did not seem to want to be stay in anyone place.

 

“I need to find the records Heimdall kept. They should tell me who my biological parent is. I need to focus on that for awhile.”

 

“Something is bothering you.” Fandral commented.“I apologise for the actions of Loki.” Fandral crossed his hands across his chest, but they were tense as if he wished to battle Loki at the moment almost more than to escort her. She was both flattered by it and a bit annoyed.

 

“Don’t,” she stated, whirling around to face him. She was quite beautiful when she was angry, Fandral thought to himself, but a little bit too much like Sif for his comfort. Blazing eyes (In this case blue instead of brown), curls flying through the air with the motion of her head. He was glad she had foregone the wolven cap she fancied on Midgard. Her voice clipped and clear and demanding he listen. “Don’t apologize for him. He doesn’t deserve your guilt for his actions.”

 

“Of course not,” he agreed. “Although if we had noticed Loki’s deception earlier perhaps you would not be in this predicament.” His tone was deprecating and the anger turned on himself now, and Darcy tried hard not to her roll her eyes.  What was it with the good guys and blaming themselves.

 

“Ok, beautiful, stop the blame game. Loki has a box of cats for a brain, but that’s not your fault. Considering you all thought he was dead, I imagine its hard to look for signs for something not there.”

 

Fandral smiled at her compliment. Perhaps he had a chance with her, despite Thor and Sif’s thoughts on the matter. He wasn’t about to turn down this opportunity because it was a challenge. All good things - including relationships - required a bit of work. While his experience dealt mainly with friendships, he couldn’t imagine that romantic entanglements to be much different.

 

And he felt he was ready to attempt a long term partnership.  Darcy appealed to him, so it seemed reasonable to choose her as the focus of his attention.  And clearly she had no intention to remain as Loki’s brúðr.

  
  


“Still, I wish I had. THe records are kept in the library. I’ll show you there.”

 

~*~

 

Darcy was having a _Beauty and the Beast_ Moment, deserving of all the capital letters. The library was huge. She couldn’t see the back wall at all. There was at least three stories, with balconies into the central area of the room, that she could see. Large ladders stood around the center cases, which took up two levels and it looked like it went on forever. A girl could get lost in here, and probably not even mind.

 

There were reading nooks around various spots in the library, with large lounging couches looking soft and plush. She wondered if anyone fell asleep in them. Large coffee tables that looked like they were made out of large redwood trees she had seen on a trip to California once, solid wood with no flimsy construction adorned parts of the floor.

 

Statues decorated the place, made out of stone, metal, and various other materials she couldn’t identify. This included a statue of Thor’s grandfather, Bor. The material it was made of was almost a liquid, but solid enough to still hold its shape.  It was opaque but she could see a little of her reflection on almost-moving surface.

 

There were tables that had holographic technology, and she spotted various Aesir moving their hands about, interacting with it. The entire area was a blend of the new with the old. She could even smell the ink. She loved old book stories because of the smell of paper and ink. This library brought that back to her, while still giving her the option of going high tech if she wanted to. It was like her version of Heaven, except she’d have added some jamming music and some hot cabana boys to help her cart her books around.

 

“Fandral, I see you have brought us a guest,” came a voice from Darcy’s right, breaking her out of the thrall that the library had put her in. She turned to find one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen standing in front of her. She was dressed in a gold dress styled in the popular toga style that she had seen across Asgard, though a rougher material with celtic knots clinched it at the waist. Most women in the city seemed to go for simple, but the design on this woman’s dress was more ornate.  

 

Her hair was blonde, almost golden in color, and it was piled in curls at the base of her neck. Her skin was flawless and her eyes were hazel leaning towards green. They were large expressive eyes one could get lost in.  If Darcy hadn’t had emotional entanglements to sort out all ready, she might have spent the day trying to chat her up.

 

“Yes, Lady Vor.” Fandral said, a smile on his face. The library had been a favorite spot of his when he was a child, when he was not with Thor, Volstagg, Sif, and Hogun. Lady Vor was one of archivists and possibly older than Odin himself, but she had always been kind to him, and he had a respect and love for her. “This is Lady Darcy Lewis of Midgard. She wishes to find some information about her genealogy.”

 

Lady Vor frowned. “We do not have Midgardian genealogical records on hand. It is one of the few realms where information is hard to come by, mostly due to its youth.”

 

“I have a biological parent who was Aesir,” Darcy interjected as the awesome factor of the library and the very hot librarian were pushed back for her main objective. She could be quite focused when she wanted to be. It was just rare that she wanted to be.

 

“I assume you don’t have their name?”

 

“No, I wasn’t aware of my biological parents being from two different realms until recently.” Darcy wondered for a moment if this would affect her daughter. She was the daughter of three realms now. Earth was her home planet and that of one of her parents, another parent apparently was Aesir, and Ariana’s father was from Jotun. At least now she knew what made her baby girl go blue.

 

“Heimdall is the keeper of the records of who goes to Midgard. He keeps his records in the Bifrost office. However, after a decade he moves the material into our archives in the central library.” Vor motioned for them to follow her and she led them into what appeared to be an empty metal room. Darcy was surprised when after the door closed, the room started to move and the windows to either side opened to show the city as they traveled downwards, eventually losing the daylight as the room entered the hard rock under the city. Asgard was a beautiful realm. It wouldn’t be too much of a hardship to stay there from time to time.

 

The room stopped and the door opened into a large cavernous room. Darcy blinked. She had thought that the room above had been more then enough space for the entirety of the library but apparently, she was wrong. More books were stored in the cooler room, which was probably as big if not bigger then the room above.  The room was cool, but not too cold.  It seemed to have some sort of natural air conditioning system, because the air was neither too dry nor too humid.  Perfect conditions, one would thing, for storing old documents.

 

“The documents in here are considered more for security personnel and the like. Its not often accessed by the average visitor to the library as it is not necessary to their studies. It has bifrost travel logs, the All-Father’s journals over the course of his life, and various other materials that are not meant for the average hand.”

 

Vor led them to a wooden table near the front of the room, before turning to the shelves.

 

“BIFROST ACCORDS -” She paused and turned to Darcy. “What year were you born?”

 

“1988,”

 

Vor pauses for a moment, then rattles off some numbers that mean nothing to Darcy, but that she takes to be the Aesir version of the years 1985-1990 because a thick book with Vor’s numbers appears in the air, stopping above and slowly lowered onto the table. Fandral seemed to not be amazed by this, so she assumes that this Accio style retrieving is common in Asgard.

 

This library was so cool. If she didn’t have to worry about her daughter, she’d probably stay here forever. She bet they had all kinds of books on the political formation of the Aesir, and their interactions with the other realms. Maybe, she could actually delve into research in her own field. She was working on her doctorate, though her eternal internship and motherhood were delaying it somewhat.

 

Vor quickly flipped through the pages before arriving at a page that read something that Darcy couldn’t read but had the words “EARTH- 1986-88” written in a firm bold hand.

 

“Heimdall enjoys the old form. He is quite the calligrapher,” Vor states noticing Darcy’s interest. “According to these records there were four men and two women who traveled to Midgard. What month were you born?”

 

“October 11th.”

 

“That lowers the possibilities to 2 men, 1 woman. The other three were part of an expedition in what you call June of that year. That would have been too late to be a part of your conception.”

 

“Can we not call it that?”

 

Vor looked at her oddly. “IS that not what you call it?”

 

“Yes, but it just...sounds like an odd conversation.”

 

Vor seemed puzzled at first, but then seemed to understand. “I shall be more vague in the terminology.”

 

“So what do I do now?” she asked, looking between Fandral and Vor.

 

“I suggest you contact the three people.” A piece of parchment was lifted from a pile on the table. Vor placed it on top of the paper and tapped it twice, allowing it to copy the information on the page. Thankfully in English.

 

She wondered if Thor would teach her and Ariana Aesir. They tended to speak in English whenever she was about them, but she wondered what their actual language sounded like. The writing appeared like German, and if she remembered Erik’s teachings right, most of Norse mythology came from the germanic tribes of Northern Europe. She took the paper and followed Vor and Fendral back to the elevator room, looking at the names.

 

~*~

 

“This is a waste of my time,” Loki stated after moments of silence.

 

“Well, considering it is you who caused this situation, I don’t think you have the right to complain,” Sif finally snapped, tired of Loki’s antagonistic behavior. It was worse than usual. He liked to manipulate, and make snide remarks but they were usually subtle. Not today.

 

“I don’t understand why you of all people are here.”

 

“I told you, Romana thought I should be here, since I was your former lover.”

 

Loki snorted in what Sif thought to be an unattractive way. She tried to remember she had once loved this man, and Darcy apparently saw something in him worth saving. Darcy had not seemed to be a foolish woman to Sif.

 

“I don’t think what happened between us could be called love, my dearest Sif, especially since we all know I was simply a way to tide away the time while you waited for my dear older brother to notice you were female.”

 

Sif rolled her eyes. It was the same old argument the two had been having for years. “Oh, Loki, not everything is about Thor or you for that matter. I was with you because at the time I saw something good about you. I’m not sure I can see that anymore. Thor does, and apparently Darcy does. That is why I am here now. “

 

“Here to redeem me?”

 

“No, here to rescue you from yourself. You were always your own worse enemy, Lopti” she said, invoking an old nickname of his.

 

_Oh, how cute. Young love at its finest_.

 

Sif stiffened, having been warned that there was a voice. She turned and looked at Loki, able to feel rather than see his fear. He was unable to hide it in this world of his own making. She had been acquainted with Loki long enough to know that while he was cautious he was rarely fearful.  To know that he was afraid told her this entity was not a trifle to be messed with.

 

The voice sounded like it was in the back of her mind, loud and echoing against the sides of her skull. She winced slightly. And it wasn’t even truly connected to her mind, so it was easy to assume that Loki felt it more strong . If an Aesir were the guideline from which to judge, the voice was male, but she knew from experience that one could never tell. Some species fell the other way with the deeper voices belonging to the women.

 

“And you are?” She asked, holding strong despite the pressure she could feel of whatever being it was trying to invade the protective barrier that Romana had created with this telepathic trip down memory lane.

 

_I am not here for you, girl. I am here for the betrayer. To show him the truth of his ways._

 

“Interesting,” Sif replied with an eyebrow raised. “So am I, though I suspect we have have different views on the matters of truth.” She knew she had the weapons to fight this foe.  She had been sure to prepare before entering Loki’s mind.  A warrior, be it with swords or words, must be prepared for battle.  Knowing this helped her keep the fear away from herself.

 

Where they on a battlefield she would stand between the entity and Loki, but with this battlefield she was surrounded by both.

 

_BE GONE!_

 

Sif felt more pressure, more pain, but she held on against the onslaught. She felt a bit of sympathy for Loki, who must be feeling this all the time.

 

“No, you shall be gone from this place.” She pushed back like Romana taught her, could feel the power of the Tardis surrounding her, helping her push.

 

Suddenly the pressure was gone. She looked around her to find herself in a wasteland. It reminded her of the Dark World, a world decimated by war. She could feel blood dripping from her nose, and wondered if it was part of the illusion or if she woke up she would find a matching drop. She turned to her right and the left, starting to feel even more uneasy.

 

Loki was no where to be found. She couldn’t feel him anymore. Did she push him out as well?

 

Could it be that Loki’s warden was himself literally?


	9. A Kiss is but a Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy finds herself the host this time as Loki's tormentor gets closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to HarbingerLoki for betaing services.
> 
> Scenes from this chapter were inspired by Bruce Banner's comment about a box of cats and by the lovely first kiss scene for Chloe and Oliver from _Smallville_
> 
> Darcy's happy place was inspired by a place I found near my high school. There was a cold cellar placed in the hillside across the creek from my school. I saw it when I was down at the creek with my biology class taking samples for conservation tests.

Chapter 9: A Kiss is Just a Kiss

 

People came rushing into the Great Library at the sound of Fandral's yelling, meeting him as he rushed from the elevator. Darcy, unconscious, hung limply from his arms. She was pale, and from her nose was a small trail of blood that went halfway down her cheek.

 

A healer by the name of Vanna who had been nearby and had heard the shouts ordered Fandral to put her on one of the large wooden tables so she could do a quick exam before they carried her any further. As she exammed Darcy, her expression grew dimmer, and she soon turned towards one of the onlookers and demanded that she find Romana and bring her to the library.

 

Something was definitely wrong, not just on the physical level.

 

Romana arrived quickly, and ordered Darcy removed from the library and taken to the Tardis. Once there, she was placed on the medical bed beside Loki and Romana began to work, passing medical equipment over Darcy’s body, a grim look on her face..

 

“Will she be alright?” Fandral asked. Romana glanced briefly in his direction, noticing the concern Fendral expressed in both his tone and his facial expression.  He didn’t look in her direction, merely watched Darcy as she lay on the table.

 

“At this time I do not know,” Romana stated as she pulled up a larger piece of equipment to scan her. “I do, however, have a job for you. Lady Darcy was investigating her heritage, correct?”

 

“Yes,” Fandral replied, his eyes crinkling in confusion. What did that have to do with anything? He had however learned to trust Romana even if her actions didn’t seem to make sense at the time.

 

“I suggest you continue her investigation. Giving her answers may help later down the line.” Fandral nodded.  It would give him something to do, and keep him from being in the way.  He knew that was the biggest reason why Romana had given him that task.  However, he looked at Darcy and turned to do Romana’s suggestion.  It would help Darcy, and since he could not help her otherwise, it was what he was going to do.

 

* * *

 

 

"Nice place."

 

Darcy glared at Loki as he walked around her former ‘happy place’. It was a familiar spot from her childhood, one that had always made her feel safe and happy. This particular place was about half a mile away from where she had lived. It was an old cold storage room built into the side of a hill overlooking a small creek and and yard or so of trees on the other side. She had loved coming here in the summer, using the stone doorway as her throne overlooking the fairies she imagined lived there. It was full of imagination and it had always had a magical quality to it with the mix of sunshine through the trees, and water running by.

 

She hadn’t been back in years, not since her family moved away from Pittsburgh and down to Flagstaff.  Her mother had recently moved back, but Darcy had yet to visit, not even after Ariana’s birth.

 

Loki's observation was probably meant as a compliment, but she couldn't tell. She figured Aaron would have liked this place, as would Ariana when they visited her grandmother. Regardless of what any DNA test told her, Marianne Lewis was her mother and Ariana’s grandmother.  There was no question about that.

 

"What are you doing here, Loki?" she asked. Last she remembered, she had been riding up in an elevator with two attractive blondes, and not this particular brunet.

 

"I'm not entirely sure." He was facing away from her, his hands clasped behind his back. It actually reminded her slightly of Odin for a moment, though she didn't say that out loud. She didn't think he would appreciate it. "I was meeting with Sif, which was the biggest waste of time Romana could have thought of, when the entity came back. Sif argued with it a bit and suddenly I was here."

 

"Well, now I'm going to have to find a new happy place," she said, annoyed. "I've seen what happens when you get into someone's mind." Erik still hadn't recovered. He was doing better, but he was still all over the place and had a tendency to go outside without his pants on.

 

Apparently, pants prevented him from being able to think. It also made her quite familiar with the locals who had been nice enough to return him when he went on walks.

 

"Oh, I've been in your mind plenty, my dear." He turned to look at her, a smirk on his lips. Darcy wasn't feeling generous so her annoyance grew, especially since he looked really, really good, looking at her like that, even without his leather outfit. She really could do without feeling attracted to him at the moment.

 

He had tried to conquer her planet, left her alone to raise a baby, and from all accounts, tried to wipe a species off the map. He was not a good guy nor pretended to be one. Darcy would prefer a good guy who just has the appearance of a bad boy, thank you very much.

 

"Not with my permission."

 

"Actually, it was." he walked closer. "Anytime we were intimate, you opened your mind to me quite willingly." He held up a hand to touch her face, only to get smacked away. Darcy’s eyes narrowed in annoyance.

 

"Not consciously. You should have known better than to play around there. How do I know you didn't try to mess anything up?" That was a scary thought. Who knew what Loki had been up to while in her brain?

 

"Because as crazy as it may seem, it was a two way street, darling."

 

"Don't call me that. I don't recall any traveling in that great mess of a mind of yours."

 

"Probably self-preservation.” Darcy rolled her eyes at his tone of voice. It looked like his self confidence was back. “You didn't go as deeply." He paused, his smirk slipping off his face replaced with one of annoyance. "Although I wonder how you can claim that when you have spent that last week frolicking in and out of my mind like it was yours?

 

"That was with assistance and a caramel bath. And Dude, ‘frolicking?’ Did you think it was some sort of joyride?"

 

"Caramel bath?” he commented, an eyebrow raised. “Well, that certainly brings some images to mind," he added, his smirk once again in place and giving her a look that was decidedly non-platonic He was clearly ignoring the rest of her statement.

 

"Get back to your own mindspace, Loki,” She commanded, turning to face away from him and walking away. “Its hard enough trying to get you out of your mental block when you are actually in your right mind, let alone in someone else's."

 

"I don't know how I got here." he said calmly, walking to sit on the stone that hang over the water in front of the doorway. "Besides, its calmer here." Darcy turned to look at him again.

 

"No duh, sweetie. Your mind is like a box a cats who just heard the sound of a can opening."

 

"Interesting metaphor, but not the first time I've heard it." He seemed much more in control of himself here and relaxed. He wasn't in his full armor, instead he had the leather pants on (which Darcy wished she didn't appreciate) along with a soft green shirt that was open for two inches down his chest. His hair wasn’t slicked back like usual, curling softly around his shoulders She could remember seeing them appear as Aaron had grown his hair out. She had teased him about his hair being curlier than hers was before she got a straightener to it. She had found it appealing on him, annoying on herself.

 

She was sure that he could tell exactly what she was thinking because his smirk grew larger. He stood and walked towards her, his head tilted slightly as if he was calculating what he was about to do. He always - well, almost always - seemed to have well thought out plans, so she suspected that whatever he had planned at that moment he was thinking it through.

 

She wasn't too particularly surprised when he kissed her. Part of her argued that she shouldn't allow him to kiss her, he had lied to her, done many bad things. But another part of her said to get it out of her system, this crazy attraction to a man who thought telling people to kneel was the height of diplomacy.

 

She made a mental note to rent Thor the superman movies. His brother and Zod had a lot in common.

 

Loki was a good kisser, even when they were stripped of their physical bodies. Damn him.

 

"I already am, darling," he said when he released her a second later, before resuming.She gave in a little this time, her hands coming to rest on his arms.

 

Just as before, the kiss brought forth memories of her time with Aaron.

 

_"Your stance is not right, hold on." Aaron stated, adjusting Darcy's arms and legs to where she was standing correctly. If she hadn't known better, she might have thought he was making up an excuse to touch her. "If you don't have the right bodywork, you can end up injuring yourself," he explained, showing her the stance himself and tossing the knife so it hit in the wood knoll they had chosen as their target on the door to leave the roof._

_Darcy was grinning, picking up another knife. She had expected him to push it off, not teach her how to throw knifes. But he had remembered, deciding they could both use a break from their work and work on something else. So while Jane and Erik went to get sandwiches, they walked up to the roof with a bunch of throwing knives ("Daggers," he corrected. "These are more then just throwing knives." She thought it was cute that he got snobby about weapons)._

_She tried to replicate the hand motion she had seen him do, tossing it at the door. However her dagger fell short, sticking in the tar and sand roof floor about two feet from the door. Which in the end was just as well since Jane had opened it mid-throw._

_"What the hell are you two doing?" Jane cried in alarm jumping back. Darcy didn't blame her. After all, she probably hadn't expected to be dodging knives. After a few seconds her eyes left the dagger at her feet and looked at the duo standing behind it, a hand on her chest as if it would calm the beating._

_"Sorry Dr. Foster," Aaron replied, clearly trying not to laugh. His lips were turned up in amusement, his arms crossed. "Darcy wanted to know how to throw daggers. I suppose I should have put a sign up."_

_"You should know better, Aaron," Jane responded now that her heartbeat was back to normal. "And please call me Jane. I hate this title crap." She did. While she liked hearing it when she was at conferences and at meetings, sometimes she got really tired of her last name when it came to the people she worked with in her lab._

_"Certainly," Aaron stated, bowing slightly, a smirk on his face as if he still found the whole situation amusing. Darcy supposed it was, though he wasn't the one who had nearly stabbed a friend. "I shall remember that for next time."_

_"I just came up here to give you two the sandwiches you ordered, and Darcy, you’re sensor sitting tonight."_

_Darcy bit back a groan. It had been three months since Thor had disappeared. Though Darcy was quite willing to help her friend look for and watch out for Thor, she sometimes wished it wasn't a 24/7 job. Maybe she could talk Aaron to watching it with her. He seemed to like her._

_"Alright, I'll take it with me when I go home."_

_"Thanks, Darce. Don't stay up here too long. We have work to do." Jane smiled, though it didn't really meet her eyes. Jane wasn't doing that well with the whole waiting bit, so she threw herself into her work and spent the time not working (because not everyone can work like Jane, so she had to take some time off so others could get time off) basically in her pajamas eating ice cream._

_Jane left them alone, and Aaron went and collected the daggers._

_"She is too focused on Thor," Aaron said while checking the dagger for damage, and Darcy raised an eyebrow. It was probably the most aggressive tone he had ever used in front of her and his grip on the handle of the dagger was tight. He didn't seem to express much emotion other than general disinterest most of the time, so it was a surprise to see him put so much dislike into Thor’s name. She had gotten a few smiles out of him the month and a half he had been part of the lab. He never seemed to like the conversations that went in the direction of Thor to be fair, but seemed to be well versed in Norse mythology so he was one of the few who could take on Erik._

_It was always amusing to see Erik and Aaron argue over it._

_She had to admit she was growing fond of him, fonder then she really cared for at the moment. This was not the time for romance, not that she expected to receive anything like that from him. Aaron was a solitary creature by all appearances. Though that didn't stop her from wanting him to stop and kiss her during one of his monologues, his accent appealing to her. He had this accent that seemed British, but there was something that seemed different. She hadn't quite gotten him to say where he was from, but wherever it was, she would like to go there and hear people talk._

_"Something on your mind, Darcy?" She wondered if he knew exactly what was on her mind when he smirked in her general direction and his eyes shone with mirth. Also when he had stopped looking at the daggers like he would like to use one on Thor and started walking towards her instead. His arms were now grasped behind his back._

_"Nope. How did I miss the door?" For that matter, where had he put the daggers?_

_"Not enough thrust," he said walking towards her. "You need to give it the kinetic energy to travel the distance." He stood behind her, arranging her in the proper stance, but this time staying behind her. "You hold the dagger like this," he added bringing forth one of the daggers, wrapping her hand around the handle so it was more an extension of her hand. his hand remained on her wrist, pulling it back and assisting her in tossing the dagger towards the door. It did not make the target knoll but it did in fact hit the door. She started to jump up in excitement barely missing his chin as she jumped._

_"I did it...well, we did it!" she said turning around and looking at him. His smile had lost the smirk factor and was now a more relaxed smile that told her that he was enjoying himself. She hugged him, to thank him for helping her. Despite the innocent reason for the hug, her brain picked up on some not so innocent things, like how well he smelled, and how well she fit next to him. He was just the right height that her head fit under his chin and beneath the button down shirt were some muscle. Maybe not to the point Thor's were, but this boy was not a slouch in that department._

_He really was gorgeous all over._

_His hair was getting longer and tickled her forehead when he leaned into the hug to return it. She wondered if he would cut it or just pull it back. He would look good with long hair._

_She pulled back and looked up at him. He also had beautiful blue eyes, tinged with green. And right now those eyes were directed solely at her. As if she was the only thing he cared about at the second. They flickered down to her lips for a brief second, only long enough to warn her what was coming._

_Then he kissed her. Had this been a disney movie, her foot would have popped. Hell, she was surprised it didn't. The boy knew how to kiss._

 

Darcy pushed Loki away.

 

"Stop that. Stop trying to bring up those memories." It hurt actually, to be forced to remember how happy she was, how in love with him she had been, only for it to be a lie on his part.

 

"I didn't try to," he responded, and for a moment she thought she heard pain in his voice, as if remembering those days hurt him as well. However, she didn’t trust that. It could be her wishful thinking.

 

"Well, stay away from me."

 

"Certainly, if that is your wish." He was back in his charming trickster persona: charming, a gentlemen with a naughty streak.  His now familiar rage and hurt were suppressed behind the mask, but she could still sense it. The connection, while significantly less than when she had been in his mind, was still there.

 

Which meant he could feel her pain as well.

 

 


	10. Frigga & Darcy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy's knowledge about herself changes drastically, Frigga sees her son, and they all realise they might have a quite a few enemies out there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Old Rose from Titanic begins "Its been 84 years..."*
> 
> Ok, it hasn't been quite that long, but its certainly been awhile. But progress has been made and updates shall happen. I have two chapters awaiting beta approval as well, so you can at least except up to chapter 12 this year. My hope is to finish this story for Camp Nano, (I'm working on chapter 13 today).
> 
> Hopefully it still has the same tone, as I know a fic spending this much time can often change tone because the writer has changed or too much additional material has appeared. In regards to that, don't take into consideration anything past Avengers for this story. I've left some elements open to use Thor 2 in some way, but clearly a lot of the MCU universe after this point totally goes against my story, which was started right after I saw Avengers in Theater. (Did I mention its been a long time?)
> 
> Much thanks and love to my beta HarbingerLoki and to Anna & Shin who keep me working on things.

Romana looked over her scans, frowning as she did so.  Jane watched her, trying her best not to ask, again, what was wrong with Darcy.  Darcy was lying so still on the medical bed, unnaturally so.  There was always a sense of movement with her. As long as Jane had known the younger woman, if she was forced to sit still, she fidgeted and kept moving.  

 

This was not the case here, where Darcy was completely and utterly still.

 

Jane turned to look at Sif.  She wasn’t sure what to think about the warrior woman who everyone had expected Thor to marry eventually.  She wasn’t quite competition - Jane was confident enough in Thor’s feelings for her to know that much - however, she still found it hard not to judge herself against the Asgardian woman.

 

She was tall, while Jane was on the shorter side of average.  She looked beautiful in her long gown, looking ever the lady.  Jane hated formal wear, though she would wear the occasional sundress.  While Jane felt she could hold her own when it came to science and intellectual conversation, Sif belonged to an advanced race and while not a scientist was probably aware from childhood, things Jane was just discovering.  

 

Sif could also use a sword.  Maybe she could get Thor to teach her how to use one without accidentally stabbing herself. Loki had taught Darcy after all - although maybe it was best not to bring Loki into the request.  The relationship between the two brothers was precarious at best and frankly, Loki was not a baseline for good behavior.

 

“I believe Darcy is in little danger,” Romana said before pausing.   “When Sif pushed the entity out of the connection with Loki, Loki sought a safe space.  Apparently, that is with Darcy.”

 

“My brother thought that occupying Darcy’s mind would be  _ safe?” _  Jane bit back a snort of amusement at Thor’s disbelief. Darcy’s mind was probably safer than Loki’s by far.

 

“For him, it is. She is a comforting presence, even with the anger she harbors against him. Although, I do believe, from my interactions with her, her anger is starting to take over her desire to help him.  Hopefully, he doesn’t irritate her further.”

 

“How can we transfer him back?”

 

“We can’t.  Only he can.  He’s still connected to his body.”  Romana paused, thinking of what words would best fit the situation.  “His body is running on low power right now, but it is still has life energy.  If he had totally disconnected, it would have been without energy, and his body would have died.  At that point, he would be permanently stuck within Darcy’s mind.  Her mind wouldn’t be able to handle that and eventually, she too would die.”

 

“I thought you said she was in no danger.”  Jane’s eyes had grown wide. This did not sound good.  This did not sound  _ safe. _ She grabbed Thor’s hand, and he squeezed it, noticing her increasing levels of panic.

 

“I said she was in little danger, which means that there is some danger, but at the moment they are both quite safe.”  Romana smiled at Jane, the look in her eye taking out some of the bite in the words.  Jane relaxed a little, but still was tense.

 

“So what are our options,” Sif asked, standing and walking towards the two unconscious people.  She was never comfortable waiting around for things to happen.  She prefered being proactive...doing something rather than having something done to you. Standing around was not making her feel useful but she knew that they needed to calmly go over the options and choose a good strategy.  Her old friend and a potential new one were under siege, and they would need their backup to have their best on the table.

 

“Well, I believe Loki still needs to be reminded of the good in his life; to make our voices louder than that of the Entity.” Romana pointed to a large display on the wall before walking towards it, pointing to a graph on the right side.  “This will display their mental...stability so to speak.  The red line is Darcy’s, and you can see it is quite strong.  Loki’s is in green,”  (Thor wasn’t exactly sure who it was who smacked the back of his head when he muttered “of course it's green” but whoever did it had done a good job, because it hurt) ”...and it is not quite as stable.  It is improved from earlier, which means we are making progress.  I think a meeting with Frigga, and perhaps, Thor again would do the trick, especially as Darcy is there as support.  Perhaps later one of the Midgardians.”

 

“What about Ariana?” Sif asked, wondering why no one had thought of the young Lokidottir.  “Is she protected?”

 

“Mother’s instincts will protect her.” Sif bit back the sarcastic response at the tip of her tongue.  A mother’s instinct would only go so far, especially when the mother in question was not capable of protecting her child from the onslaught of a psychic attack.  She knew this far too well, seeing her mother mourn her brother’s passing when she was young.  She had known her son was in danger, but in the end wasn’t able to protect him.  Darcy wouldn’t forgive herself if something happened to Ariana,and it seemed quite irresponsible to rely solely on Darcy’s instincts.

 

“ She’ll still receive some of the uncomfortable after effects but nothing that will cause her harm.  Actually, I think it might be good to cause a family bond to be created between the three of them.”

 

“Absolutely not!” Jane exclaimed stepping forward.  Her eyes flashed with alarm and perhaps a bit anger.  Her hands were fisted and she stood tense in front of Romana, almost as if she was ready to fight over this issue physically.  Thor watched with concern, but trust in his girlfriend’s ability to handle herself. “I’ve seen what this thing has done to Darcy and Loki.  Darcy isn’t here to have her say, but as Ariana’s godmother, it is my job to protect her if Darcy can’t.  If something is after Loki’s mind, I don’t think connecting it to Ariana’s is a good idea.”  Sif nodded her agreement, glad to know she wasn’t the only one who had seen the flaws in the plan.

 

“It would be when I think Loki is good enough to protect himself, Lady Jane.  Fear not, I have no cause to want this child to come to harm, nor do I desire it otherwise. However, Loki needs to be reminded he has other destinies then to be the abandoned son of Laufey and a genocidal Prince.” 

 

“I won’t allow it, not unless Darcy is there to okay it.”

 

“I shall ask the Lady Darcy when I do my visitation,” Frigga stated, coming to stand beside Jane, laying a calming hand on Jane’s shoulder.  Her whole body seemed to emanate soothing aura.  Jane hadn’t noticed the Queen arrive, but everyone seemed to calm slightly at her presence, including Jane.  Jane wondered if there was a way to bottle that ability to use when she got stage fright at conferences.  Sif seemed to back herself out of the way out of respect for the Queen, allowing the woman to move forward in the small crowd towards where her son lay. “I too do not want any harm to come to my grandchild.”  Frigga’s words were firm, but warm, still attempting to calm Jane down. Jane nodded, knowing that Frigga would stand firm on the subject.  She did not doubt the Queen’s love for her adopted son or granddaughter.

 

“Perhaps we should do this sooner rather than later,” Romana commented, an eyebrow raised as she took in the many people in her Tardis.  It hadn’t seen a crowd like this in centuries.  At the moment, this made her both sad and irritated; Irritated because she liked to work in solitude most of the time and sad because the Tardis was meant to have several voices, to hear laughter and conversation filtering down it’s halls.  

 

It was probably as lonely as she was. She closed her eyes and tried to not think of her people now gone, or the man who had saved Time but lost everything.  It was a bittersweet thought.  She still loved both despite the ages since she last was in her own universe, and was separated from both. 

 

Frigga, a former student of Romana’s herself, seemed to notice her discomfort. “Perhaps we should.”  She turned to those gathered.  “Why don’t you return to your duties? I’m sure, at this point, Odin will need someone to take Ariana off his hands.  Thor, perhaps you can take Jane to your father’s throne room and have some bonding time of your own with your niece?  Volstagg, Hogun, why don’t you join Fandral in completing Darcy’s search for her parent?”  The two warriors nodded and walked out of the room, followed more reluctantly by Thor and Jane.  Sif remained, but stood off to the side and out of way of the two women.

 

“Do I need a bath, Romana, or shall I enter through touch?”

 

“A bath would make the connection stronger, but I believe you are capable of joining with your son and his should be intended.” 

 

Frigga raised an eyebrow at Romana’s statement but said nothing about it.  “A bath then. I believe a stronger connection will be needed as I am not as familiar with Darcy’s mind.”

 

“Good idea,” Romana nodded, a little annoyed with herself for not thinking the same thing.  She prepared a bath while Frigga prepared to be immersed.  Sif watched them both, ready to act if anything should go wrong.  Romana noticed Sif appeared a bit fatigued and made a note to make her take some of her nutrient broth.  The young warrior had been through quite an experience, and for no other reason than it was the right thing to do.  She didn’t hold any fond feelings towards Loki anymore, but did not refuse out of her dislike of him.  She barely knew Darcy but was concerned for her child. She had grown into a good woman, and could have made a good Queen of Asgard. That was not to be her fate it would appear.

 

Jane was worthy of being Thor’s wife, but it was undecided if that worth extended to rule over Asgard.  Hopefully, Sif would be compassionate enough to help the woman who had taken the spot many thought to be rightfully hers.  Jane would need good friends when the time came.  Asgard might be advanced, but it could still be harsh when it came to changing tradition.

 

“Are you ready, Frigga?”  The woman nodded, her eyes closed in meditation.  She stood from the bench cushion she had been sitting on clad in just a simple sheath dress she had changed into from the ornate dress she had worn during the day.

 

She stepped in the tub that had been placed between the two beds, taking ahold of the hands of the people on either side of her.  She lowered herself into the tub, and Romana lowered the beds so that Frigga could immerse herself well enough for the bath to be affected.

 

~*~

 

This was ridiculous.  She was stuck in her own mind with her crazy ex-boyfriend slash attempted overlord of earth AND his mother.  Romana thought that this would protect Loki better (according to Frigga’s report when she arrived) which was all well and good except she hoped that insanity of Loki’s scale wasn’t transmissible. She rather not have the urge to take over a planet - realm - thing.  She was barely getting used to being a mother, she did not need to oversee the needs of more people.

 

She was sitting on the farthest bit of grass she could get from him.  Frigga,  the magical woman that she was, had did some landscape editing and made clearing on the other side of the water where she could sit on a blanket with her son.

 

She really didn’t want to be part of mummy-son time.  She also hated the fact that she could tell that he was in agreement with her.  After that last kiss, they both appeared to be a little raw with too much emotional sharing between them.

 

Although there was a part of her that still hoped that Loki’s apparent sharing of the emotion meant that not  _ everything _ had been a lie.

 

“Am I not your mother?”  Darcy had been so caught up in her own thoughts that she had managed to drive out the conversation between mother and son.  Frigga sounded a bit annoyed.

 

“No, you’re not.”

 

“Loki, blood does not make a mother,a father in any other sense than genetics.  I am your mother, I raised you, I loved you.  I soothed your nightmares, tried to help you achieve your dreams.  I may not have borne you with my own body, but I am your mother.”

 

It made Darcy a little homesick to be honest.  She could use the comfort of her own mother right now. A mother who also wasn’t related to her child except through a piece of a paper.

 

“Then why did you lie to me all those years?”

 

“I did not lie to you.  I omitted the fact that your biology claimed you as Jotun. Your father -”

 

“HE IS NOT MY FATHER!”

 

“Hey Dude!  No shouting in my mindspace!” Darcy called over.  The shouting was giving her a headache.  “And be nicer to your mother!”

 

“What I was trying to say,” Frigga continued, the mix of frustration and love that Darcy recalled from her own mother tinted her voice.  “Was that I never saw you as anything but my son. Your father may have had dreams for you that ranged to Jotun, but I was not raising you simply to be a king of Jotunheim.  I was raising you because I loved you, because I wanted to see you grow into a man I could be proud of, a man your brother could trust by his side.”  Disappointment filtered through now, but Darcy could still sense the love.  Hopefully Loki was sensing that as well.

 

“I loved both my sons equally.  As it turns out that both of them have acted foolishly this past year.  You,  _ my son,  _  have acted maleficently and that broke my heart.”  Frigga’s comments seemed to be getting to Loki, because Darcy could feel a twinge of guilt surfacing.

 

“I needed to prove to Odin, to Thor, that I was an equal, not a subservient.”

 

“ I nstead you proved yourself to be the villain of the story.”  Darcy didn’t realise she had transmitted that out loud (since it was her mind, was she actually ‘saying’ anything?) till the two with her looked over at her.  She moved closer, figured she was in for a penny, she might as well go for the pound.  “You tried to commit genocide over a people that your brother’s attempt to battle had caused him to get exiled to New Mexico and my taser.  You committed patricide, and attempted fratricide.  Then you killed about 70 people on Earth just trying to get the tesseract.  Who knows who else died when you let in the creepy crawlies. You failed in some very big ways.”

 

“Thank you for your input.” Loki snarled.  His eyes showed his anger, though the projection he was giving of his body in this little mind game appeared to be unaffected other than the movement of his mouth.  Unlike in the real world, his control over himself wasn’t enough.  She could feel the anger, frustration, terror and a touch of guilt.  It was flooding through her.

 

“That’s not including what you did to me,” she added, a bit softer.  “But I’m trying to pretend that Aaron is someone else, because I don’t want to believe I could fall in love with a man who  _ choose  _ to be the monster he was so afraid of becoming.”

 

Frigga’s eyes grew wide at that comment. Loki was unresponsive.  She didn’t feel anything.  He was looking at her though, and the look in his eyes were sending chills down her spine.  

 

“You do have a lot to answer for,” she decided to continue on, this time staring right into his eyes.  “But personally I just want to know if you knew about Ariana.  She’s about the only good thing that came out of what you have been doing the last two years.”

 

“Ariana.  Our Daughter, I presume.”  Something had shifted in his eyes at the mention of their daughter.  There was no way she was going to allow Loki to have some mind connection with their daughter, but she wasn’t going to hide her from him.  It wasn’t fair to Ariana.

 

“Yes, our daughter.  I was two months pregnant when you left.  I found out about a week later, and you weren’t answering your cell phone.”  She knew she had just said she was trying to separate Loki and Aaron but it was nearly impossible.  Loki was Aaron, and Aaron was Loki.  She just had to deal with that fact.

 

“I was not aware,” he answered and she could tell he was telling the truth.  Out of the corner of her eye she saw Frigga sitting down, not saying a word but simply watching her son and Darcy interact.

 

She hoped Frigga didn’t have ideas.

 

“Would it have changed anything if you did?”

 

“No.”  Well, she had wanted honesty, didn’t she?  “I had planned, after the conquering of Midgard, to return to you.” he continued, moving closer. 

 

“And expected what?  That I would be overjoyed that you made my very good friend a little batty?  That you had destroyed a good part of the world?”

 

“That was the Chitauri,” Loki responded quickly.  “They were the ones who destroyed.”

 

“At your bidding!  Why can’t you accept responsibility for your actions?  You always deflect from yourself!  You destroy a city, it's the Alien’s fault, even though you brought them here.  You left me alone, and lied to be about who you were and it’s “Oh, I would have come back, but I had to go to prison.”   She took a deep breath, feeling the urge to cry. 

 

“Yes, you were the victim of your father’s misguided attempts, and your brother’s ignorance.  You suffered, but that doesn’t excuse what you did afterwards.  There are hundreds of people in several different realms now dead because of you having a tantrum.”

 

She turned away and tried her best to block the emotions pouring out of the other two.  Frigga’s was slight, concern for her, concern for her son, and a twinge of relief that Darcy had come out and said what needed to be said.

 

Loki’s was hurt, anger, and thankfully some guilt.  It relieved her that Loki could still understand his actions were wrong.  If he could understand, then he could change.  

 

“You know nothing of what you speak.”

 

“Loki!”  Frigga stated, standing up, her voice brooking no argument.  “I never knew you to avoid the facts, even if they displeased you.”  Her tone was full of maternal disappointment, and despite his claims that he no longer saw her as his mother, Loki felt admonished. “In many realms the cost of your actions is death, including Midgard.  You were in the wrong, and you know it.”  She walked over to her son. “I love you, but you must face the consequences for your actions.  A good King does so, even if he has no throne.”  She gave him a pointed look.  “So does a good father.”

 

“Does Odin?”  Loki retorted, the calm veil torn away so he was visibly showing his annoyance. He looked between the two of them, anger simmering.  “If you want to condemn me, you should know the facts,” he finally said.

 

Neither Darcy nor Frigga were ready for the onslaught of Loki’s memories or the emotions they generated within each of them.


	11. Parental Connections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki finally breaks and shows Darcy and his mother what he's been through. Meanwhile Fandral has news that will cause big changes within the royal family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you know - I managed to update within a calendar year! For those wondering where I am writing wise, I have four chapters done, and three in the works. Right now I expect this story to be 18 chapters, but some of these chapters are getting longer then the 8-10 pages I go for for pacing so it may be more.
> 
> Thanks for all the comments you've been giving me. It keeps me going when I get blocked:) And thanks again to HarbingerLoki who has taken the time to beta for me.

Odin frowned at the tablet that Stark had lent him to read Midgard’s mythology involving the other realms. It wasn’t exactly complimentary of him, or really any of his family. What kind of man did they think he was that he would bind his son up with his grandson’s internal organs? Or have him sit under a acid that slowly dripped upon him?

That wasn’t punishment; that was torture and mutilation.

There was much of it that was impossible for the Midgardians to know, as Thor and Loki had been but infants at the time most of this was devised. He suspected that some of the Asgardians who had visited Midgard to check its progress and development had...helped...along these stories. Some of it was based in truth. He had lost his eye on a campaign for wisdom, but he doubted that it still remained on the bottom of some well. His brothers had never slept with his wife to his knowledge, no matter how long at war he had remained. He had full trust in her fidelity.  Prior to their marriage, however, she had been courted by his brother Ve, but had not gone very far before they realised they were not meant to be.

The story about Thor in a dress was actually true, and amused Odin still.  When he stated that outloud, Stark had insisted on seeing pictures. Something about his mother's drapes being an old joke between the two of them. Odin didn't quite understand, as Frigga had woven tapestries, but her skills didn't extend to draperies. 

“All-Father?” Odin looked over the device to see Fandral standing at the bottom of the steps leading up to his throne, looking somewhat nervous. Behind him he could see Fury, Stark and Rogers standing, discussing something, while Rogers held his granddaughter.

“Fandral.”

“Lady Romana has asked that I investigate Lady Darcy’s heritage in her stead. I think you should see the list that we found of possible parents.” Odin nodded his head, allowing Fandral to walk up the steps and hand Odin the paper with names.

_ Valdir _

_ Vili _

_ Ve _

_ Freya _

_ Gandalf _

Odin’s eyebrows raised at the mention of his brothers. He glanced over at Fandral before standing and walking down the steps. The quick clips of Odin’s feet on the floor as he passed caught the attention of the other men in the throne room.

“Hey, what’s the rush?” Stark asked, joining in the group that was following Odin despite Fury’s protests that if Odin had needed them, he would have said so. 

“It is not something to concern you, Starkson,” Fandral stated, annoyed at the man’s presence. Stark did not look like he bought Fandral’s answer, but neither of them really cared at the moment. As it seemed he was prone to do, he ignored the subtle request to remain behind and continued to follow.

Odin did not pay any attention to the interaction between Stark and Fandral, his mind already on the list in his hand. He could cross off Freya. The likelihood that it had been a female Aesir was unlikely, as that would mean that Darcy would have been born in Asgard instead of Midgard thus avoiding the situation all together. Valdir was also not likely as a candidate given his lack of interest in reproductive functions. 

He took a right, down the hall and started towards the great libraries.  Vili was often to be found there, having been put in charge of the education of the youth of Asgard. In truth, Vili had been in charge of the group had that gone down to Earth to check on its progress at the time. He periodically would visit other realms on his brother’s behalf, as he had more opportunity to do it undetected. As King, Odin didn’t often have the ability to do subtle.

As expected, Vili was found in the records received portion of the library, updating the records on the realms he had recently visited now that the Bifrost was back in working order. Odin slowed his pace as he approached his younger brother, unsure how to start this conversation. 

“Odin, you need not sneak. You usually fail at it,” Vili stated, not looking up from the thick tome he had placed in front of him, his glasses perched low on his nose. He was rather lanky rather than bulky like his brother, though he had the same long white hair. His beard was cropped shorter, but the facial features were still similar enough to Odin to tell that they were brothers.  

“I was not intending to ‘sneak’, brother. I need your assistance investigating a matter.” 

“By all means,” Vili stated, looking up and holding out a hand in the direction of the chairs on the opposite side of the table he was using as his workstation. “What has you coming to me in such a hurry rather than calling me to the throne room?” He did not state anything about Odin's accompaniment, although it was clear he found the request and audience quiet odd. 

Of course, Stark stating he had found the Beast’s library could do that, as no one in the group outside Stark himself got the reference.  Fandral simply glanced over at him before putting his attention towards the two sons of Bors.

“It is of a more personal nature.”  Vili’s eyebrows rose.

“I see,” Vili stated, putting a carved bookmark in between the pages of what he had been working on and closed it. He moved it to the side before clasping his hands together on the table top. “What is it you need investigating, and what does it have to do with your guests?”  Odin stepped closer, and Vili realised he wished to speak without the audience that he had brought with him.  Vili nodded in understanding and touched a signet ring on his hand, the ruby depressing slightly. A sound barrier formed around them, which would keep their words hidden from anyone outside its borders. It would keep what was said between them away from the ears of Fandral and Stark.  Fandral was not surprised, having seen the technology before, but they could see Stark’s mouth moving as he tried to figure out what was going on.  Vili had often used this as a way to have some quiet and solitude when in situations that would not give it to him.

Odin made a note to give a ring such as this to Director Fury. He could probably use it.

“You are aware my son has a child?”

“Yes, made quite a noise in the city. Her mother is Midgardian.” Vili’s voice held curiosity but not much more than that.  Perhaps his greater familiarity with Midgard helped his casual acceptance.

Odin nodded in confirmation. “Partially. Her DNA implies she has one parent with Aesir blood.”

“That’s rather unique. We haven’t had much hybridation with the Midgardians in several thousands of years. Long before your children were even thought of, let alone born.” Vili rubbed his beard in thought.

“Well, it appears that is no longer the case. Romana did several tests to confirm it.”  Villi nodded at Odin’s words.  Odin could see his thoughts already were on what books and files he would need to correct.  “Through Heimdall’s records we were able to put together a list of potential fathers. Given that Lady Darcy was born and raised on Midgard, it was safe to assume that her mother was midgardian.”

“Its improbable, but not entirely out of the question. May I see the list?” Odin handed over the parchment, and Vili adjusted the glasses that he had on his nose. “I can see why you came to me. You want to know if I’m potentially the father in question.”  Odin was surprised by Vili’s direct words, not having expected to have gone straight to the main question that had been plaguing Odin’s mind these last few minutes.

“You know this group well. You choose your companions on these trips. I would assume you would know who would be the most likely contender.” Odin’s tone held no judgement or assumption, though he had the suspicion he knew what Vili was about to say from his earlier statement.

“Valdir has no interest in sex with his own people, let alone those from another species, no matter how close of one. Gandalf does not usually go for women, so he could be, but it is unlikely.” Vili rubbed his chin before continuing. He looked somewhat concerned, and yet resigned at the same point. “I doubt it was Ve. He is very careful about his dalliances.” He looked his brother in the eye. “It is possible that is I, however I was not aware the child had survived.” 

Odin stated nothing for a moment, stunned at his brother’s revelation, though a part of him had suspected it. He was bothered by the fact that his brother had kept the possibility from him, but figured that conversation could wait till later He nodded at Vili, who released the silencer and they informed the other two men.  Fandral seemed to have satisfied Stark’s curiosity for the moment, and they were both silent as they waited for the two brothers to speak. They noticed that the two brothers had a tension between them that had not been there before. 

“I suppose Romana should be consulted,” Fandral interjected, uncomfortable with the silence between the two older men. “She would be able to confirm or...not confirm.” Both the men turned their eyes on him, and he smiled in attempt to make it seem like he hadn’t just forgotten the word deny.  Stark didn't even try to hide his smirk at the mistake. 

“Fandral is correct, one should always confirm a hypothesis” Vili stated, standing. His face showed no emotion, through his fingers were clasped in a way that showed the tension. Family was important to the Aesir and to find out you might have potentially abandoned your child was not an easy thing to come to terms with.  Odin wondered about his words - that he had not been aware that she had survived. Had Vili been aware he had a child and been told that she had died?  Fandral and Stark made no comment, unaware of the family upheaval.  Fandral seemed content to allow the older men tell him their theory, but Odin had been around to know when the wheels were turning behind someone’s eyes.  Stark was coming up with his own theories.

“Indeed. She is with my son and Lady Darcy in her Tardis.” Odin’s words were oddly monotone as if he was struggling with this reality as well. “Perhaps we can continue this conversation as we travel.

“Of course," Vili said with a nod and fidgeted with his ring,wrapping the field around the four of them. They left the library and started walking towards Romana’s quarters, Stark remarkably silent for once.

* * *

 

When Loki unleashed what had happened to him in the gap between realms, it almost felt like Darcy had suddenly been put in one of those deprivation chambers.  All she could sense was  _ him. _

The loneliness, sadness and anger he had held when he had let go of his father was easier to handle. How his self-hatred had kept him from accepting that the scream he heard from his brother was one of sorrow not joy. She could also sense Frigga’s memories of those events, of how Thor had been withdrawn and sad for months afterwards; how Odin had taken to looking into the nothingness for a few weeks, as if expecting his son to return. Her memories seemed triggered by Loki’s own.

Loki seemed surprised at that, Darcy could sense his attempt to reign it all in.  However it seemed like that now that it was released, there was no stopping the deluge.

Pain. Loki had been found by the Chitauri, drifting in the blankness of space. They had captured him, and had first tried to torture information about the Aesir and the 9 realms. They wanted the Tesseract, especially the man who lead them who called himself, Thanos. Loki wasn’t sure what species he was. Loki recalled he seemed to have a connection to Midgard, as well as a larger knowledge of the 9 realms then the Chitauri themselves seem to have access to. 

Thanos had skills that would make the Chitauri’s physical abuse seem like a papercut. He was a telepathic being, able to inflict pain without using a single physical instrument. Able to punish Loki until he promised to get the tesseract for him. Thanos had pretended to be gracious, telling him that he could lead the army, or rather a portion of the army, into earth and keep the planet for himself.  Loki had been suspicious of the offer, but the thought of stopping the pain as well as showing his father and brother he could rule overruled his instinctual hesitation.

Thanos had left a being known as “The Other” to watch over Loki’s progress. Loki’s theory that there would be no more pain was quickly disproved, as the pain continued, a reminder of their power over him. It had come in the form of migraines while he was on Earth and The Other, Thanos and the Chitauri were still within their own dimension, caught in between realms.

Compounding the pain Loki was going through was Frigga’s own at the thought of her baby boy being treated like that.  Anger tinted her sorrow.  Darcy wasn’t sure what to feel, the information flooding her to a point she had no room to investigate her own feelings.  She felt sympathy for Loki, though she didn’t feel it excused his actions. She felt for Frigga, Thor and Odin for having to mourn their loved one not knowing he was in pain and stuck in someone else’s custody.

She also felt a great deal of fear.  Thanos was after the Tesseract.  It was on Asgard now, and he, with no doubt, wanted to go after it. Loki was in danger because the being was no doubt unhappy with Loki’s failure to complete the mission successfully.  Earth was in trouble because Thanos clearly was not a nice guy, and they had destroyed his armies.  Thor had helped, but a good portion of the time Thor had been busy getting his brother to sit down and think about he had done.

Not that he had succeeded.  That had been Hulk.  There were pictures.  Tony Stark had made sure of that, and somehow some had trickled down to Jane and Darcy in Norway and Arizona respectively.  She had it saved on her phone for her more aggressive moments.

What made it even worse was that Darcy got the sense that Thanos was not the threat that was after Loki right now.  He was out there, and definitely a threat, but the sense she got from Loki's memories was not the same sense she got when Loki had been attacked previously.  That meant they had two enemies to fight. 

That thought seemed to break the other two out of their own stupor, allowing Loki to reign in the memories.  They were all drained, Loki most of all.  Darcy could feel the burden of the mindspace falling solely on her as he let go.

"I need to inform Odin," Frigga said, her tone showing her exhaustion from the exchange.  "Romana will no doubt wish for someone else to join you soon."  Darcy simply nodded and watched as Frigga disappeared.

"Your mother loves you," she stated to Loki.  "I don’t think even you could doubt that now." They were now in a white nothingness, both too tired to really put effort to making scenery.

"No," Loki stated.  "I can not.  Nor can I doubt that I still love her as my mother.  But it does not mute the anger I get at being deceived."

Darcy watched him for a moment, before sighing. She was exhausted but it seemed like now was the time to give Loki a talking to about one aspect. "Ok, sit down, it's story time.  I was adopted." 

"I remember; you told me." It was a testament to their exhaustion that neither were pulled into the memory.

"Yes, I did.  My mom's name is Madeline.  My father's name is Paul.  They weren't able to have kids.  My mom had been diagnosed with uterine cancer when she was young.  She went into remission, but her uterus was pretty much unusable.  So they decided that their desire to have kids did not stop at the birth canal.  They adopted me. They found me, they loved me.  The fact that they don't have the memories of waiting to give birth, or giving birth did not change anything.  They had to wait...nearly two years to be allowed to adopt at all.  When they were finally approved I was actually a few months old. They had to wait months once they found me to be approved.

“I don't have any memories of my birth mom or of anyone else but my adoptive parents.  And I honestly don't need to.  Am I curious?  Of course!  But I had - have - parents.  I was well loved, and I was taken care of and cherished.  I dare anyone to tell me to my face that my mother doesn't love me as much as she would someone from her own genes.  It doesn't matter, not to her and not to me.  No matter what the DNA tests will say she is my mother."  Darcy paused, taking in a breath. There was anger flowing through her now.  On Frigga’s behalf as a mother being rejected but also to all the people who tried to tell her over the years that her parents weren’t really her parents.  That somehow their relationship was less because of that. 

"Frigga and Odin are your parents.  They took you in and raised you.  Cared for you.  Did they always do the right thing?  No, no parent does.  That requires perfection, and that does not exist.  Does it matter to Frigga that you are not biologically hers?"  Loki didn't respond. He wasn’t even looking at her, staring out into the white nothingness.

"No, it does not.  I can't tell you what Odin thinks, but in my few meetings with the man, he loves you too.  He had big plans for you, and those plans blinded him but I don't think it was for thinking of you less then your brother. He might not win any Dad of the Year awards, but he’s still your dad and he loves you."

"You know nothing about Odin." Anger curled through his words like it was a corporal thing. She stood her ground, though. Besides, she figured they were in her mindspace, her rules.

"Perhaps not, but you can't seem to see anyone outside what your insecurities show you.  Which I get - I totally get. But you need to reach beyond that Loki if you ever have a hope of getting through this." 


	12. How to Confuse people without saying a word

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just about everyone gets confused or finds out information that they wish they didn't know.

Odin and his companions arrived shortly at Romana's quarters, but were greatly surprised to see Frigga leaving them, distress clear on her face. She stopped upon seeing them.  After many years of marriage on Odin's part and friendship on Vili's, they were both able to see that Frigga had news to impart, and it wasn't going to be pleasant.The younger men were not as familiar, and thus missed the signs.

"Allmom!"  Stark said, and Frigga raised only a eyebrow at Stark's new nickname for her.  Odin simply ignored him, having spent the last few days with the irreverent midgardian and knew that ignoring him was better then giving him a response in any case.  "We got good news, we found out Darcy's Dad!"

"I fear I do not have news of equal. However, it may be more...important."  Stark seemed to want to argue the point, but the looks from the other three men stopped him.  "Loki has been under siege from a separate entity then the one who had him captured after his fall from the bridge."

"There's two bad guys now?" Stark rolled his eyes.

"Indeed," She said solemnly.  Odin noted that she had nearly spit out the words.  There was something she wasn't saying, not in front of strangers, and Thor's young friend.  "He was captured by an being known as Thanos after his fall, and it is he who pushed Loki into his actions of the past few months." She sighed.  "Well, planted the seeds at any rate.  However, once the tesseract was removed from being near him, it broke that connection.  Another being has been using the open side on Loki's half to attack him.  Romana and I both think strongly this person will be coming after Asgard."

"This is grave news, indeed."  Vili said unnecessarily.  Odin simply nodded in acknowledgement before turning to Fandral.  

"Fandral, gather the others of your group.  We need to start making preparations to protect the city should it happen."  Odin stated, starting to divide the jobs he knew must be done.  While the knowledge that his brother had a child was important, protection of the city must take priority.  "Vili, perhaps you can research who -or what- may be our foe."

"Of, course," Vili said with a nod, already half turned to return to the library.  Fandral bowed and also took his leave, with a trailing Stark.  Odin wasn't sure what Stark thought he could do, but it got him out of Odin's hair, so he thought nothing of it and focused on his wife.  He wrapped an arm around her and led her to their suite, where they could speak in private.

It had only been a short distance away from Romana's chambers, but it felt like forever till he safely closed the bedroom door behind him.Once they had passed the ornate doors leading to their private part of the palace, Odin held his wife as she cried, holding her close to him.  He had one arm around her shoulders, the other in her hair, holding her head lightly on his shoulder. He laid his cheek against her hair, taking in the scent of flowers she always seemed to have.  It was comforting to him, and he hoped in return he was comforting to Frigga.  There in the comfort of their own rooms, Frigga would be able to tell him what she had learned.  He settled them upon the soft cushions of the couch at the end of their bed.

"Oh, Odin, how our boy has suffered."  She finally said when her tears had settled.  She used the hem of her sleeve to dry her cheek, the other clutching his own.  She then related to him the events of her visit with their son.  All the pain Loki had suffered as they mourned him, not knowing he was alive.  The breaking down of his already broken spirit till he believed all the lies he told himself.  How Thanos had manipulated Loki's anguish and natural ability to cause trouble into making the perfect scout for his armies.

"He honestly believed you didn't love him, Odin.  That you wouldn't have mourned him should he die.  He took your words and mistook their meaning that he was just a pawn, one you had to force yourself to pretend to love. Thanos took advantage of that, supported his theories, his pain."  She shook her head.  "Why does he find it so easy to believe that we don't love him?"

"I believe in this, the fault lies with me, my dear."  He sighed.  "Loki finding out the truth about his birthright was unexpected and I said things, things I regret looking back at how it’s sounded the way it was phrased. He believes that my only purpose was to use him, because in all my words, that is all I said."  He bitterly regretted that; wished that had said the words, told his son how much he loved him.  Yet, he could not turn back time and add those words, or keep silent on the others till Loki was less upset.

"Thanos appears to be from a pocket Dimension,"  Frigga continued, knowing they both could use a change in focus away from their parental grief. He nodded, settling back, one hand rubbing his beard in thought.

Odin had known about pocket dimensions, though he had no experience with them himself and had thought it merely hypothetical.  Scientists in various realms had hypotheses and research on the idea, but no species he had come across had the ability to access, create or leave a pocket dimension with any kind of certainty.  The closest was Romana, and she only knew the ways of alternate universes, not pocket dimensions.

Except now they knew someone could.  The idea that his son had fallen into one, had then had escaped was almost hard to believe.  Loki did however have the scars of a battle he did not win, memories of the dimension in question, and had opened a portal to the dimension when on Midgard, which led to much suffering on that realm.  He had known his son was powerful, and that he had learned much on his own about magic and science, yet it was still hard to imagine his son being quite that unique and skillful.

Loki had survived though,and had inadvertently stalled the actions of Thanos. Odin felt some pride in his son for that, and it showed Odin that some of the son he remembered raising was still within Loki.  Had his son truly been lost, Midgard would not have survived.  

"I will have Vili gather a team to investigate.  Clearly there is some truth to the idea, and we need to find out all we can to mount a defense.  The portals are quite different than the bifrost on Dr. Foster's bridge."  Their bridge was hardly fixed.  It could only take a few at a time at the moment, still healing.  It was almost organic in nature.  He made a mental note to have Jane Foster work with his specialist in perhaps strengthening it.  It did seem her interest as well. "We will need Loki's help however."  He looked sadly at his wife.  

"I'm not sure we will get it." 

"You think he is still too angry?" Odin asked

"Too hurt.  He feels we have rejected him.  He's retreated into a shell of himself, protecting himself not just from this unknown being that haunts him.  I could feel him pushing me away even as I was with him there. Yet, I will still ask.  He, and perhaps this Dr. Selvig, may be the only ones to know how these portals work."

"The Lady Natasha has told me Dr. Selvig still remains in a care facility.  Apparently he suffers from his exposure same as our son, and he is but mortal.  He didn't have the skills and perhaps not the ability to protect himself like Loki could."

"Is he far gone?"

"They believe he will recover, but perhaps never to be quite the same again."  She sighed, tears still sparkling in her eyes as she shook her head.  "There is so much broken now.  And it's all because we couldn't bear to tell our son he wasn't ours in every way possible."

"Do not blame yourself, Frigga.  You have never failed to allow yourself to show your love for him.  I always believed that our sons needed to see me as the King first, father second.  Clearly I was wrong."  He looked down.  "And we are not to blame for the evil of others.  Nor is Loki's actions our blame to take."  There was a part of him that wished he could; that he could blame himself for all of this, make it simple, and pay for what his son had done. He could protect him from suffering, from being punished, but he could not. For despite the manipulation, Loki had still made those choices.  It would be up to him to make recompense.  "I must go and build our defenses, and our knowledge of this enemy that attacks our son, and Thanos as well."

"Why were you coming to Romana?"  Frigga asked.  "It seemed you were coming for a reason, rather than just a visit."

"We found out Lady Darcy's father."  He paused.  "It is my brother, Vili. At least he seems the most probable answer.  We need to ask Romana, or perhaps Eir to confirm what we believe."

"Vili?"  She raised an eyebrow, but didn't seem too surprised.  "Well, that's interesting.  It makes things a little awkward as well."

"Yes.  But that can be put off till later.  There are more pressing concerns at the moment."

"Yes, go. Prepare your warriors." Frigga agreed as she joined him standing."I will try and see what I can, and pass on the request to Romana."

* * *

 

Jane, having arrived after the rest had left,  watched as Romana worked around the two silent figures.  She didn't quite understand what was going on, this was far from the physics she knew, but she was curious.  She found herself trusting Romana. There was something calming about the woman, something that told you she knew what she was doing. Perhaps it was the age, and the sense of wisdom that seemed to hang on her like an aura.

"I believe this entity is not far."  Romana stated, breaking the silence that had been comfortably hanging around the room and looked over at Jane.  "It is not Thanos. We already know from Frigga's visit with her son, and the fact that Mr. Stark closed the connection to that pocket dimension that connected it to the rest of local cosmic space that Loki is currently safe from that threat. Whoever it is, and  I believe it is male, it is from one of the major realms." 

"Major?" Jane was always interested in learning more about the realms.  Was it some cosmic connection or was it a political one that bound them together?

"Oh, yes. Yggdrasil refers to only 9 worlds, but that is hardly the end of the universe.  There are many realms, and apparently now pocket ones, which twists common astronomical theory."  She paused.  "The nine major realms to which the Yggdrasil connects are Niflheim, Muspelheim, Asgard, Midgard, Jotunheim, Vanaheim, Alfheim, Svartalvheim, and Helheim.  Midgard is named as such as it is the the middle.  The Yggdrasil is like a cosmic tether that holds these realms together.  I suppose they could almost be described as separate planes of existence occupying the same space, but that is not quite correct either."  She sighed.  "Or perhaps a bubble of sorts that holds these 9 together.  However there are many realms outside the 9.  Some are small, and some are uninhabited, but the exist around us, just not within the cosmic bubble."

"I suppose...that makes sense."  Romana raised an eyebrow because Jane's facial expression and tone said the opposite of her words.  Regardless, she understood enough to continue on.  

"Given the strength of the connection, I suspect the culprit is within one or two realms.  Most likely Vanaheim, Alfheim, Midgard and Jotunheim.  Midgard is the least likely of the four since the people of your realm don't tend to develop your telepathic abilities to the degree this would require."

"No, although the appearance of telepathic mutants has risen over the last few decades, I believe," Jane answered.  "I was once asked to come and do a lecture on astrophysics to some of the older students considering that career path.  It was at Xavier Academy, a school designed to help mutants. At least two of the professors were telepaths."

"Yet, not known for traveling through the realms.  Perhaps in time. I have long since learned that humans can surprise you."  She turned her attention to something else.  "The attack has used Loki's connection to the ones who were manipulating him to preserve his anger.  Almost like a secondary infection."  

"You said Jotunheim, right?"

"Yes?"  She looked up at Jane. 

"Well, don't the Jotun people have a grudge against Loki, and against Thor."  She remembered Thor telling her about what had happened, why his brother had tried to kill him, tried to destroy the Jotun.

Romana keep looking at her for a moment before repeating Occam's Razor.  "When one is given multiple hypothesis, the one with the least assumptions is the most likely. Yes, you may be right. Whoever is attacking Loki has not fallen across a random victim.  Midgard and Jotunheim have received the most damage from Loki's behavior, and therefore the most evidence of a motive.  Logic would dictate that a Jotun would be the most likely due to the telepathic skill necessary, and the motive needed."

"Jotunheim is in a period of great unrest,"  came a deeper voice and Jane slightly startled turned to find Vili standing in the doorway.  She had only met the man once, during a dinner they had prior to Loki's coma had started.  He looked a lot like his brother, perhaps a bit shorter, and a bit rounder. He was more slender, more used to books then to battle in the last millennia.  However his eyes were on Darcy.  "Loki caused much damage to their realm, but he also destabilized their government when he committed regicide."  He seemed to focus on Jane finally.  "It's currently disputed between the oldest two sons of Laufey."

"Loki's father?"

"Yes.  At least genetically.  Any man who would abandon a child willingly does not deserve the title."  Jane was a bit surprised by the vehemence of his tone, but it was his nephew and she could totally get behind not liking the guy who left his infant side out to die in the elements because he was too small, or some other feature wasn't right. When Thor had told her about that, she had wanted to go back in time and do some serious harm to Laufey herself. No matter what her current feelings for Loki were, she could not stand the idea of someone deciding to just let their child out in the cold to die.  

Before she could say anything, he continued. "The remaining sons are Helblindi, the eldest, and Byleistr, who is a scant few years older then Loki.  Many believe that Byleistr may be the more moderate of his fellows, but some suspect that the quiet calm is a mask. For some, it is easier to trust the hotheaded brother who is always upfront about his thoughts.  He rages loudly, but not for long." 

"Could one of them be the culprit?  After all, this was even more personal for them.  That was their father,” Jane suggested.  She pressed the bridge of her nose, starting to get a headache thinking about all the twisted political situations her friend had gotten into, that her boyfriend had been involved with.

"I suppose," Vili said with a slight shrug.  "Jotuns have bonds just like the Aesir.  Biologically they aren't too different from us. There has been intermarriage in the centuries before the last great war.  However, hybrid children are rare, because the differences are enough to make pregnancy, and birth itself fairly difficult for the parent involved.  I was looking it up for a theory Odin had about Loki's parentage.  He suspected that one parent might have been Aesir, particularly as Loki's appearance as an Aesir never failed. At least, until a few years ago.

“Back to the original statement - they would have telepathic training from their parents, and given their ability to shapeshift I would suspect it is stronger.  They would need to know that it was the person it was, no matter the form.  Unfortunately, there is no evidence supporting it or disavowing it.  It is simply an assumption on my part."

“An assumption that is an interesting hypothesis.” Romana stated as she started tapping her chin in thought. “Given that the Aesir form family bonds, light as they are, it could be possible that it was one of the Princes of Jotunheim.They not only have used Loki’s vulnerability, but also their latent ties with him as his brother.  Hypothesising, of course, that Jotun telepathic bonds work in similar ways to Aesir and Gallifreyan.”

“Gallifreyan?”  Jane looked at her confused.  “Is that one of the non-Yggdrasil realms?”

“No,” Romana said with a sad smile.  “It is not.”

* * *

 

Vili couldn't help but look down at his daughter as her sister-by-choice, Jane Foster and Romana circled around her, checking her vital stats as Romana explained some of the realms.. He even managed to ignore the presence of Eir when Romana called her in to consult about a possible exit strategy.  

He had a daughter, his baby Sigyn.  He had gone down to investigate the changes in culture on Midgard, and had ended up falling in love with a woman there.  Her name had been Grace Stevenson, and she had been kind, intelligent and had she been an Aesir, he was sure that she would have been approved by Odin when he made the request to marry her.  In fact, that was why he left in the first place.  His study had not been finished, but he had known that he wanted to marry Grace, wanted her to undergo Idunn's transformation, especially when he found out she was pregnant.  

At the time he hadn't suspected it would have been so easy to conceive.  They were two different species, and while they were compatible, they had used the Midgardian birth control.  Clearly the slight ineffectiveness really came into play when one of the partners was an Aesir.  However, they had been overjoyed.

He had left her, and he could still remember her standing there, a smile on her face but tears in her lovely brown eyes.  Her darker brown hair had been left down, a bunch of curls going every which way in the wind caused by the Bifrost.  It was an image he kept close to his heart, knowing as he did now, that it was the last time he would ever see her.  It had taken a while to return, and by then he had yet to find his courage to ask his brother.  He had gained a more long term chance to study the current Midgardian cultures, and he had hoped she would be happy to see him again. 

Instead, he had gone to the home she had shared with another woman named Lauren.  Lauren didn't think much of him, and had nearly snarled out the information that Grace had died in childbirth, their child lost as well.  She had slammed the door in his face.  He had been too stunned to argue.  He had gone to Grace's parents who were under the same impression.

But here she was, Grace's baby girl who looked almost exactly like her mother.  Her features were more rounded, like his, but the overall look was Grace.  He didn't know what Grace had wanted to name their child.  At the time he left they hadn't even figured out if it was a boy or girl. Her parents had informed him that it was a girl, and he had returned home after his continued study and written her name down in the book of records in the name he had been thinking of since he had learned he was to be a father.

Sigyn Vilidottr.  Darcy Lewis.

His daughter was grown, she had no need of a father, and he had no idea on how to be the father she would need.  He was determined to keep himself in her life now, he wasn't going to abandon her again..  He couldn't be a father, but he could still be in her life, be in his granddaughter's life.

His daughter's choice in lovers had put themselves in a bit of awkward situation even if it was just in name only. His granddaughter was also his grandniece. It would no doubt make some people baulk at the idea. He wondered if the baby, who he hadn't had a chance to see, looked like Grace, or more a mix of him and her, or maybe she took after Loki instead.  

This could all wait till later, when his daughter and nephew were once again safe, and Asgard as well. Then they could settle the many questions that now arose in his mind, and he did not doubt would arise in hers.

"I believe I have a plan to assist them out," Romana said cutting the silence with a loud voice, signaling that her conversation with Eir was complete.  The other woman stood behind her, entering information into a device that would connect with the records at the healers suite.

He took one more look at his daughter, and hoped that Romana's plan would work.

* * *

 

Frigga was alone in the room she had spent so much time with her sons.  Her loom sat in the corner and she moved towards it.  She could still remember sitting in this room,  Odin sitting one of the nearby chairs, going through papers on the affairs of the court for the day.  Loki and Thor would be playing on the floor while she weaved, seeing the future, but always so distant as to be unable to change it, or know truly when it would come.

She needed reassurance, needed to know that things would heal, in her family, her son and within the realms.  So she pushed aside the fond memories and moved to take a seat the loom and started to work.

Unfortunately, she did not like what she saw as she weaved. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this update took so long. There was a rewrite involved so I had to take it back from the beta. HarbingerLoki once again took the time to beta this, so you can thank her for not being beaten over the head with overzealous use of the word However.
> 
> Writing wise, I'm currently up to chapter 17 now that all the chapters have shifted, which makes it look like It will be around 21 chapters at the moment. And depending on I finally decide on it there may be a scene of a higher rating. I may just make it a one-shot for those who want the love scenes and those who don't can just read along. I haven't quite decided.
> 
> If you want to keep up with what I am doing with this story between updates, you can find me at [tumblr](http://sokorra.tumblr.com)


	13. Romana's Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy doesn't react well to the news of her parentage, Loki doesn't react well to basically everything, and consciousness is finally achieved. Also another show favorite of the Authors gets tied in, because why not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again thanks to HarbingerLoki for the beta'ing services. 
> 
> Leo McGarry, Josiah Bartlet, and Lord John Marbury are characters from the NBC television show "The West Wing" which aired from 1999-2006. There will probably be no more mention of them really, so I'm not going to add that show to the fandoms section. Just pretend that Jed Bartlet was president in this universe from 1999-2007, and Matt Santos was president from 2007-2011. I figure he lost, because I can't imagine he'd react well to a nuke being sent above New York City.

“No,” Darcy nearly barked out.  “No, this is not happening.”

“I believe it is what already happened.”  Loki stated from where he lay on the stone entrance, seemingly unbothered by the news that the mother of his child was a royal Aesir. Or technically his cousin.  Darcy tried hard not to go to that part of the news. The fact that Tony freaking Stark had been the one to tell them all had just been icing on the cake, because he got too much amusement from it.  Thankfully, he didn't stay long, just to let her know the news and to tell them Romana had come up with a plan to separate them soon.  She wasn’t sure why they had sent Tony of all people, unless he had volunteered.  He had been his usual rambling self that she was used to, so while he was there a short while, it took him awhile to get to the point.  The good thing was that according to Romana,  Loki had appeared stronger and might be able to handle the separation and be brought back to consciousness. 

“I’m not going to be a Princess.  My life is not a Disney film!” Loki bit back a grin.  The annoyance on her face and the act of putting her hands on her hips was vaguely familiar to him, and the emotions associated with it was mostly amusement.  He had no idea what a Disney film was, but something told him that the information was there..he was just not able to access it at the moment.

“No, of course not.  But the fact remains,  you are the daughter of a Prince of Asgard.  You are the fourth in line to the throne.  Third, actually, as I am no doubt taken out of the line of succession.”  Loki prided himself in how neutral he had said that.  The anger and bitterness still swirled behind the words, so he was sure she could still sense it.  However, it was the first time he had said it outloud, and his voice at the very least had not expressed the storm behind the words.

“I don’t need a throne!  I just want to disconnect from you, find my daughter and go home where the only thing that happens is a tumbleweed passes by my lab door.”  The view around them flickered for a moment at Darcy remembering the lab, and it opened up some memories for Loki.  An expanse of sand, tall glass windows, cooler nights under the stars. However the imagery held of the creek with its abundance of green plant life and softly rushing water.

“I don’t believe there was tumbleweeds.” 

“Shut up.”

“Quite a wordsmith there,”

“No, seriously, shut up.  This is my mindspace.  I control it.  Go sulk in a corner,” she commanded, waving her hand in a vague direction.  Loki ignored her.

“I do not sulk.  That is undignified.” 

“Well, go un your dignified somewhere else.”  She groaned.  “I am never going to live this down.  It's like Princess Diaries, only rated R and with more royal incest.”

“We are not biologically related.” 

“Not genetically, no.  But you were adopted so to speak.  Your adoptive father is my father’s big bro and that makes us cousins, genetic or no. That's a little weird for me to comprehend.”

Loki rolled his eyes at her comments.  The memories were starting to come back to him faster, including more facts about Midgard and its history that he had devoured while living there. Darcy’s curriculum at school had certainly helped him get a start on reading material. “I believe that it is considered common place in midgardian royalty." 

“Used to be, but we found out awhile ago there are points where it's a little too close for comfort and first cousins is not generally in the safe zone.” 

“Again, we do not have a genetic link.” His tone expressed annoyance, but even if it hadn’t she could feel it bouncing off the space around them.

“Mind over matter, dude.”

“Well, it should not matter to your mind that I am legally - though it has never been fully explained as to its legality - your cousin. We did not grow up as cousins, nor do you really see me as one." Darcy had to give him that one.  She did not in anyway see him as a relative.  "It only matters as far as genetics go.  And your midgardian genetics will no doubt take care of any random bits of common DNA, although again I stress I am not even Asgardian so it matters little.”

“Do you know we share sixty percent of our DNA with a banana?”  Darcy closed her eyes for a moment, wishing she could pull back that random comment that had just filtered through her brain.

“Well, that would explain some of your people.  Although I’m not sure that’s entirely correct.  You didn’t get this off that website did you?”  He recalled there being some sort of online database many people sourced as a fount of information and fact.  He found it to be fairly accurate, but not without fault.  Including the random facts that Darcy would pick up.

“Ah, no.”

“You did.”  Loki shook his head.  This conversation was bizarre.  It sounded so much like Aaron and a bit less like the Prince of Mischief. She could fool herself for a moment as she saw that playful grin on his face. "You really should stop reading and trusting what you read online."

"You mean the part about you one turning into a mare, having sex and getting knocked up?"

"What?."  Loki’s grin disappeared and he looked confused for a moment before the related memory came to him.  Midgardian mythology regarding him had never been one of his favorites to read.  "I can not change into a horse, and Sleipnir is not my child.  I was involved in the breeding...but not in the way I was involved in Ariana's,” he commented with a raised brow.

"Ok, let's never again refer to our relationship as 'breeding', kay?"  Bringing up their relationship was a bad idea, because another memory shot up to take over. Although Darcy quickly turned it away from fully forming in her mind. She didn’t want any more reminders of Aaron right now.  SHe had enough on her plate between dealing with her new found royal blood, her daughter not being near her, and all the angry things that came when Loki was around.

Loki shrugged.  It infuriated her a little to see him so unconcerned about whatever was going on with the situation.  She was having a week full of a big reveals, ones that changed her life, and Loki acted as if she should just shrug as if someone told her that George Foreman had a grill he wanted to sell her.

She knew it wasn’t completely true.  She could feel his emotions, flowing along side hers.  The strength ebbed and flowed like an ocean tide over her, but he was mostly good at holding off the onslaught, which meant it was sometimes hard to discern which emotions were hers, and which were his.

 

~*~

Romana watched over the two patients, calmly taking them in. Her thoughts were also on how she would figure out how to properly separate them into their own mind spaces.  It would not be easy, and she suspected that the two had started to blend a little, causing a mind bond that was typical between Aesir couples but at a stronger level. Romana understood it, Gallifreyans had similar bonds. But Darcy wouldn't understand - she was woefully unprepared for much she would be going through in the coming years. Midgardian telepathy was woefully underutilized. Eir had help develop a plan that would assist and keep them both mentally sound, but there were many variables. Both physically and mentally.

The monitors that kept their vital statistics in easy view showed them both to be healthy and capable of separating, just as Eir had predicted.  They had been worried after Stark had taken a turn, deciding to be the one who tell Darcy of her parentage to distract her from other events. They had been agitated, with elevated pressure and heart rates. She wasn't sure what had caused that for sure, but she hazarded a guess that it was Stark's delivery of the news. 

She shook her head.  The few moments she had spent in Tony Stark’s presence had given her a mixed impression of him.  The man was brash, had very few filters, was often insensitive, yet she could sense that he hid himself from the others.  He wore many masks, and the one he presented her was the cocky Midgardian.  He had tried to flirt and charm, but ultimately failed. However, it didn’t seem to phase him.

She sat down in a chair, weary herself of how this was all taking so long and she was handling most of it.  It was times like this she wished she had trained others, or had some of her friends from Gallifrey with her.  Someone to combat the loneliness and to help her handle situations like these. Eir was helpful, but the healers of Asgard were not as familiar with telepathy as she was, as it was not a field of study that was often delved into. It seemed at odds with the commonality of bonds. 

Perhaps when this was done, she could lend her knowledge to Eir and her associates.  She was sure Eir at least would be willing to learn.  Telepathic bonds were normal in Aesir society but they weren't strong.  Not like the bond between her two patients.  Despite that, she knew they could benefit from the knowledge.

She could remember in her youth wondering about the cosmos, thinking that it was all about watching time unfold, traveling around to observe.  The Doctor had taught her to be involved. She wondered what he would have thought of her now. Would he have been proud of how she had adjusted to living on this side of the divide, adjusted to staying in one place. The Tardis was a ship, yes, but a living one and like all living things it needed energy to survive. The energy it required was not a common element in this universe, and she would not risk travel if she could not give it that energy. She suspected it was longing for travel as much as she was. But that would not be today, nor any time in the near future.. She needed to finish this, and still hadn't found a way to power her Tardis to healthy levels.  

She turned her thoughts back to her patients. They were resting comfortably now, their brain waves more calm, almost syncing.  This was what made it so dangerous.  If Romana did what she planned to do and failed, they could end up permanently attached in Darcy's mindspace.  If she achieved it, they would be free, but there was no definite way of telling beforehand if there would be any lingering connection.  They also wouldn't know how strong the connection would be if there turned out to be one.  It could stay as strong as it was now, fade into the normal spousal bond, or fade completely given Darcy's hybrid nature. 

This would be difficult to determine through out and she had to be precise going in.  For Loki it was easier,  She had known him as a child, so she knew him well enough.  There was a familiarity of spirit that comes from knowing someone so long, and she had been his teacher.  She had taught him much about transdimensional walls and portals. Darcy was a stranger, and Romana had known her for mere days. She would have to trust Loki's knowledge of her to help separate their entities, to help them become free of each other once more. 

"Romana?"  She was startled out of her thoughts, still unused to the way people referred to her as Romana instead of just ignoring the fact that she had a name at all.  Only a few called her by her name. She had always been treated respectfully, but she knew that often she was just known as the old woman.  She looked up to the doorway and found Frigga standing before her, dressed more regally then she had earlier in the day.  It told Romana just how much time had passed.  She hadn't even noticed when Jane and Vili had left.

"Your grace?"  Romana asked, wondering what had brought the Queen to her, considering the procedure to separate the two on the beds would not happen for a few hours.  Perhaps it was maternal concern for her son, or perhaps diplomatic concern for Darcy.  After all, if they lost the Midgardian, it would sour the relationship between the two realms even more.  Thor was doing his best to assist Odin in bringing peace and friendship between the two realms, but it was slow going.  The Midgardians - reasonably - were not ready to fully trust the Aesir, especially since the Aesir were still treating them like they were galatic infants.

"You once spoke of living in an alternate universe,” Frigga began hesitantly.  You said you were capable of seeing the many strands of time.”

"I suppose.  It has been a long time since I ever attempted to do so.  I mostly just see the possibilities.  It's a skill taught to me in my youth."  She had never been particularly good at seeing the paths.  The Doctor had been better.  She was better at knowing when not to play with the timelines, something he had trouble learning sometimes.  Although, she thought sometimes he just wanted to ignore it.  That was how they ended up working so well together.  They had brought balance to the other.  Perhaps, she thought, it was also why things collapsed in the end. "Why do you ask?"

"Do you think that in an another universe, my sons would not be so unhappy?" Romana took in the Queen as she stood there, one hand scratching the palm of another.  It was a nervous tick that Loki had somehow inherited from his mother. Her face showed sorrow, more the mother in this room then the Queen of Odin.  Her eyes were locked on Loki’s form, still submerged in the bath, though not quite as deeply. She turned and looked at Romana when the older woman did not speak for a moment.. 

"There are an infinite amount of Universes, Frigga.” Romana stated at last. “I think each universe would bring its own challenges,” Every decision splits new ones. Some are identical to this one, just one thing has changed.Some eventually fade back into others.  Layers upon layers in a never ending cascade."

Frigga sighed.  "It just seems that for all the gifts I have, ones you helped me train to use and the ones I learnt while a girl on Vanaheim, I did not see this happening.  I did not see how much my youngest would suffer, nor how much Midgard would change the lives of my family, for gain or loss." Sorrow filled her tone

"We are not all seeing, Frigga."  Romana stated sympathetically, holding out a hand towards the other chair in the room. "The future is a constantly moving thing.  It is not easily predicted, nor is what one sees an unchangeable state. We see possibilities, not hard truths.  Even for those of us who can see the passage of time."

"I decided to try to see what would happen, before we started to separate them, and all I see is unhappiness." She took the chair that Romana offered

"Your emotions might taint the images you perceived," Romana cautioned.  “Knowledge of the future can be both a good tool, and one used for naught.  I have known many times when a glimpse of the future has left people unmoving in fear, or reckless with assurance that things would go a certain way.  It is not often so.  There are very few things set in stone when it comes to time.”  It reminded once again of her Doctor, his sorrow when he couldn’t save everyone, or on occasion anyone. Knowing the fate of time was a curse as well as a blessing.  There was also the Master, who had gone mad.  Perhaps that was greatest curse of knowing Time.  So much to see and know, and only so much a person could hold.

"I saw my son mourning his brother,” Frigga continued, a tear running down her face. “I saw the Midgardians being split apart despite wanting the same thing and failing to see the danger coming to them.  I saw my own death."

"You would not see that, Frigga.  No one can see their own death."  That seemed to be the one constant.  Which she sometimes felt was a good thing.  She knew far too many people who would run towards that end, tired of living so long.  Others who would try so desperately to keep it at bay.  Neither allowed people to simply live their lives. 

"It caused my sons to finally become allies, if only momentarily."

"You think that would be the only thing that could bring them together?” Romana asked with a raised brow. “ Not that they love each other?  Or both love women from another Realm that might not understand their culture and traditions?"

"The visions confused me." Frigga admitted. “I do not want to believe my family would be so broken that only my death could bring them back together and only for a moment.”

"I would not trust your visions,"  Romana stated, placing a comforting hand on Frigga's.  "Perhaps you saw an alternate universe.  Perhaps you saw this one, but I feel your emotions and uncertainty about Loki's punishment have colored your abilities right now.  You will need to clear your head before we begin, because we are going to need everyone's strength."  Romana knew how trying to reach for the future could twist someone up. 

"I know.  I just don't know how."

"There is an old midgard practice called meditation.  I believe the Aesir have a similar concept.  Close your eyes, take deep, slow breaths, and clear your mind."  Romana stood and prepared what she needed to separate them.  Thankfully, it was mostly topical ointments to promote telepathic connectivity, and no actual tools.  Frigga was lulling herself into a nap by the time she finished when Odin and the others arrived. 

She noticed that besides Odin, Vili had also returned. She walked up to him so that their conversation could be more private as the others gathered to assist in Loki's recovery. "I have completed the tests you requested, Vili.  You were correct, she is your daughter.  She is Sigyn."  When Vili had asked for the tests  earlier she had been surprised, but had done it as it had been relatively easy to do.  With Darcy's blood already on record, she had only to take a small sample of Vili's.  Her Tardis could do the analysis fairly quickly, and she had not been that surprised by the results, either.  Vili would not have asked if he had much doubt.

Vili nodded, but did not say anything.  She hadn't expected him to.  The revelation that his daughter had survived was a bit of a shock, but to know that she was in danger probably made it even more so.  He sat silently on a chair she had set up beside Darcy.  She watched him look over Darcy, probably trying to figure out what she got from him, what she got from her mother.  The others filtered around him, taking their seats where she directed.  Her seat was in the middle.  She walked over to it, and looked around to make sure everyone she had requested had arrived.  Others had, making the room quite crowded, but she knew most of them held some concern for one or more of the patients.  She motioned for everyone to sit down, or stand in the back area.  They soon did so and the murmurings that had filled the room fell to a tense silence.

"Thank you all for coming,” Romana stated as a form of greeting. “I apologise for the lack of room for those of you here for support. I have a plan to separate them, but it requires having anchors outside of each other. They will need familiar minds to meet with, so they can recognize and feel safe with whoever will act as their anchor.  Something stronger than the forced bond they have now.  I have chosen the two they are closest to.  Thor will assist his brother, while Jane - who is considered a sister to Darcy - will assist her."  The two took the seats at the head of the beds, Vili and Frigga standing up to stand behind them.  "I have provided you both with a cream, please apply it to your hands. This will strengthen the connection as we do not have room for the baths. The cream acts as a conduit of energy. The three of us will take their hands, and connect with them in Darcy's mind space.  Slowly Jane and Thor will assist them to part ways while I hold the bridge between them steady."  She moved to her chair and settled in, applying a thin layer of the cream to her own hand before grabbing a hand of each of her patients.  Jane grabbed Darcy's left hand with both of hers, while Thor grasped his brother's free hand tightly with one, as if they were about to engage in a arm wrestling competition. 

She closed her eyes and repeated the actions she had earlier led Frigga through, allowing herself to be drawn into Darcy's mind.

When she opened her eyes she found herself standing on a patch of grass beside a swift flowing creek.  Thor and Jane stood nearby, but there was no sign of the two they sought.  Frowning she delved deeper, searching for them.  She hoped she had not waited too long, had not caused more damage than good.  They began to appear near the creek on the other side, sitting on opposite sides of the stone outcropping a little above them.

"Loki," she called, gaining his attention.  "It's time to go home."

"That could mean a lot of different things."  She simply raised an eyebrow. "I wondered when you would come to see me.  I saw everyone else - even that pesky midgardian - but not you." His tone was calm and sharp, but she had known him long enough to sense a tad bit of anger residing at him at the perceived slight. And perhaps slight relief that he was stronger now, more able to block things.  She decided not to tell him he was wrong. 

"I was busy keeping your physical body alive," she said, not happy with his assumption that she didn't care.  He did seemed stronger though, and if he was insolent that wasn't necessarily a byproduct of his trauma.  "Thor is here to help you back into your own body.  Jane is here for Darcy."

~*~

This week had been a game changer for Jane Foster. There was so much information to process, so many decisions to make. But focusing on Darcy,who was having an even worse week, kept her from going crazy over it.  While Romana and Thor were dealing with Loki, who was cranky but less psychopathic as she remembered, she moved to hug Darcy, so glad to see her friend seeming to be so well.

"How are you?" She asked in a whisper, almost afraid to speak loudly or let go of her friend.  The sensation was strange.  Everything still felt solid, as if she was physically there, but also like it was numbed, she was only getting half the sensation.

"No need to whisper, Jane. They can hear everything we say for the most part. You basically have to make a point not to hear other conversations. So even if you are whispering, they are going to hear."  Jane nodded, knowing that a private conversation about all the changes happening in her life would have to happen post-separation.  There were things that neither Thor nor Loki needed to hear, and she doubted Romana was much concerned either way.  "I'm doing fine.  Loki is annoying, but that's his skillset so."  She shrugged, but Jane could tell she was exhausted.  Jane could imagine that holding two consciousnesses in one mind probably wouldn't be easy.  Especially when you had issues with the other person.  Jane wondered for a second if she would have been willing to do the same for Thor.  She hoped so.  

"That's good to know.  I'm supposed to help 'lead you back' so to speak."

"Really?"  Darcy raised an eyebrow.  "This should be interesting." she teased.  "How long is it going to take us with you stopping every five seconds to science?"

"I'm not sure this works that way," Jane said with a smile, glad her friend felt good enough to joke about it.  "Don't worry, there will be much gushing about the science afterwards.  Let's go."  Darcy easily took Jane's hand and Jane did as Romana had told her earlier.  She took them to the furthest spot on the right they could go to before it would put stress on Darcy.  Loki would have to move further, as it was his mindspace they needed to get him back to. 

~*~

Loki, unlike Darcy, was not being very compliant. (Not that Thor had ever considered his brother to be easily swayed.)  He had one card up his sleeve he had hoped not to use, but Loki had found himself comfortable here with Darcy and the card had to be used.

"You are hurting Darcy."  Loki's head snapped over to Thor at that statement. 

"And that means what exactly?" he spat out, anger apparent.  Thor made a note to think about Loki's tone later when Loki wasn't there to hear his thoughts.  It seemed interesting how insulted he was at the implication that he might purposely hurt Darcy.  It was more than mere pride though.  Thor hid his smile.  He had gained some wisdom in the last few years.

"This is her mind you are currently situated in.  It was built for one mind, occasionally a visitor, maybe.  Not a full time resident.  Midgardian minds are not trained to resist that or to handle the stress.  It can cause damage."  Thor sighed.  "Please.  This is for you as well.  You might become entrapped here.  Nothing good could come of that - for either of you."

Already Loki could feel Darcy slipping away to whatever safe zone Jane had led her to.  He could still feel her, 'see' her, but he could tell that she had no concerns about this.  She trusted Jane - and Thor - without condition.  He had never learned to do that.  The only person he had learned to trust and not expect betrayal was Darcy herself, and he had still looked for her to leave. 

But, she had come back to help him, and staying here, no matter how much better it seemed then being in his own head, would hurt her.

"Fine."  For her, he would do anything. Thor simply nodded and held out a hand.  The two brothers grasped each other's forearms and they began to feel themselves pulled away, felt it for themselves and for the others.  Suddenly, Loki found himself blinking his eyes and looking up at an unfamiliar ceiling.  It felt strange, not feeling anyone else, just the constant familiar ache of his migraines. He could still feel remnants of Darcy if he focused, as if she had permanently imprinted on his mind.  He looked around him and saw that Thor was hunched over his bed, and behind him was Frigga, looking concerned.  Her eyes lit up as they connected with his. 

"Oh, Loki", she said, almost sounding like she was about to cry.  Loki was confused until it started to filter through the thick hazy feeling he had developed that he was no longer in a mind space.  He was conscious.  He turned to look at the other side of the room, his body stiff from not moving for several days.  He saw Darcy embracing Jane who seemed as relieved as Frigga that things had worked.  He saw his father standing behind Thor and his mother, looking oddly relieved, the first time he had seen his father show any emotion other than anger and disappointment in several...decades probably.

Romana sat between him and Darcy.  He looked her over, observing the exhaustion that she felt, knowing that what he saw was no doubt only the tip of the iceberg.  Whatever it was that she did to divide them took a lot out of her.  He hadn't put much effort into it but he felt like he was ready for sleep again.  He could only imagine what she felt.  He turned back to Thor, who was smiling down at him, also looking tired.  For a moment, it was like nothing had changed, like they had been a decade ago.  Two brothers who had each other's back.

However, things had changed.  He couldn't quite let go of what had happened.  He didn't blame Thor anymore, but still the feelings of loss were there.  Thor had been his brother, and the revelation that Loki was not really Odin's son or Thor's brother had changed everything. It had made Loki doubt everything.

He still did, for once that innocent trust was lost, it was so hard to build it back up again.  However, he allowed his brother to clasp his shoulder in solidarity, smiling weakly up at Thor, and at Frigga.  He ignored the other half of the room, choosing not to turn and look at Darcy once more.  

~*~

“So..” Jane started, stirring her stew around with a spoon as she thought how to phrase what she wanted to say.  “You are a princess.”  Jane and Sif had helped Darcy to her room, and then some staff had brought in some food to help Darcy regain her strength.  A hearty stew, some bread and some drink concoction that Darcy hoped wasn't alcoholic if only because she was sucking it down and couldn't really afford to be drunk right now.  She could have a bender one night when she was home and not worried about her daughter being used in an galatic war. Sif had excused herself to help her comrades, but Jane had remained, deciding to share the meal with Darcy

“No, I’m not.”  Darcy's eyes narrowed at her friend before she returned to looking at her daughter who slept calmly in her arms.  It had only been a day, but it felt like it had been too long without her daughter.  Ariana hadn't seemed to notice that she was gone, amply cared for by Frigga and the others.  But Darcy was all too aware of it.  As soon as she reached the room, she had picked up her daughter and hadn't let go of her since.  She ate with the practiced hand of a mother all to used to having to deal with a child while eating.

“Your father is a Prince, Darcy.”  Darcy had related what she knew, and Jane filled in things from her end.  It still feeled like a disconnected story.

“No, my father was Philip Lewis, a chemistry teacher. I’m sorry for Vili, but I can’t be his daughter, no matter what my DNA says.”

“You are also the mother of a Princess.” Jane pointed out, using her spoon as a visual accompaniment. 

“Yeah, yeah.  The Future of Asgard, or so the cutie at the gate told me.”

“Heimdall.”

“Oh, noted.”  Both woman paused in appreciation for the watchful Asgardian. Jane returned to the subject at hand soon enough.

“Darcy, I know it's a lot to take in but you can’t just ignore this.”  This was an odd setup, Jane thought to herself.  Usually it was Darcy getting her out of science funks, not Jane getting Darcy out of her whatever funks. Then again, this whole week had been a switch between them.  Darcy was the one involved deeply, and Jane had to struggle to keep up.  Not that Darcy really struggled with the science...she just didn't care about Physics the way Jane and Eric did. She was however very good at administrative things, and doing grant paperwork.

“I’m not ignoring.  I’ll accept that my daughter is a princess, that her grandfather was or is a King depending on how you look at things.  We should ask Thor. I do not have to accept my own right to be a Princess.  If I accept, they’ll expect me to do things, attend things, and I’m just not ready for that.”

“Would you ever be?”

“Who knows.  I was never one of those girls who wanted to be a Princess, Jane.  Not even Xena.  I wanted to be the Prime Minister, or the guy who tells the President the stuff he or she needs to know.”  She had wanted to be Leo McGarry for a period of time in her teens and Bartlet was president. Being the person who could get things done without all the celebrity functions that went with it. She remembered trying to read everything she could about that administration. 

“You don’t think you could still do that?”

“And be a Princess of Asgard? Are you kidding me? On earth I’ll suddenly be a dignitary, they’ll expect me at functions, represent Earth here, or Asgard there, or they’ll expect me to stay here and act all Princess-y.” 

“Actually it sounds right up your alley.”  

“Excuse me?" Darcy looked at her friend in surprise.  She couldn't see how being a Princess was something that screamed DARCY.

“Think about it.  You went to school for government and politics.  You are wasted working as my assistant in a theoretical physics lab, not to mention while you have your geeky science interest, you don't really care for the in depth science of physics.  As a Princess of Asgard, you can be an emissary between two governments, help form treaties, help form legislation in relation to species interaction.  It's your thing, Darcy. I mean, sure it came to you in a very strange upsetting way, but it was almost tailored for you.”

“I don’t know, Jane," she said with a sigh.  Jane had a point, it was what she had trained herself for, well at least the being part of government thing.  If she couldn't be Leo McGarry, maybe she could be Lord John Marbury: An Ambassador called upon to give advice, someone who could help keep the peace. At the same time, she was scared, so scared of losing her daughter to another world, of being around Loki so much that she’d let her feelings for him rise up again, and despite all of the anger and hurt, they were still there buried underneath.

“I think you should think about it. If you really feel that uncomfortable about the idea, I won’t force you into it.  You know I love you and I only want what is best for you. But I really think you would enjoy that, Darcy.  It would mean Ariana would have more time with her grandparents, yet you would still get to travel home to your mother's when you wanted to.” 

“Has Thor been talking to you?”  She asked, teasing Jane.  She knew Thor would like it if they stayed.  She also knew his father had not been too happy with how much time Thor wanted to spend on Midgard. Odin saw it as Thor avoiding his duties to Asgard.  It was one of the reasons Thor had taken Jane up to visit his parents. He wanted to stay with Jane, but he also needed to do a few things on Asgard before spending his time away with the Avengers.  

“Yes, but I thought this before he even said a word. This is not about Thor, and Loki or really anyone but you."  Jane sighed and got up to move closer to Darcy.  Ariana seemed to notice the movement, opening one green eye to peer out before drifting back to sleep.  "In the end you must do what you think is best for the two of you. I just want you to look at all the options." Darcy couldn’t help but be moved by Jane’s defense of her abilities and the care she had for Darcy.  It was nice to know that the friendship was definitely not one sided like many believed.

"I will," Darcy stated, making sure to look Jane in the eye so she knew she was being honest.  "I'll keep it in mind."  It did sound like an enticing deal, but there was so much unknown.  If she accepted, would she be forced to live on Asgard and not on Midgard?  She frowned as she realised that 'Midgard' had replaced 'earth' in her vocabulary.  She hoped being here hadn't changed much more.

There were so many questions, and she had the ominous feeling that there would be much more before this all got settled.

 


	14. Unexpected Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Darcy are now free from the mindspace, but they still have alot more things to work out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to HarbingerLoki for the betaing services.

"I am not an invalid, Thor," Loki said, annoyance seeping in his voice. Thor was being a bit aggravating with his mother-henning. Loki felt like hell, as one was prone to do when one spent the last week in nutrient baths and a coma while fighting a telepathic force, but his brother didn't need to treat him like he couldn't move a muscle. "I am capable of seeing to myself."

Thor, to his credit, smiled sheepishly. He realised he had probably overdone it when he had asked if Loki needed assistance in the bathroom. Loki just ignored him and shut the door between them. He completed his business and as he finished washing his hands he got annoyed by the fact that he was weak enough that the sink was holding a portion of his weight.

Looking into the smooth rock that was his mirror, he saw someone he didn't quite recognize. He was pale, his hair was a mess, and he looked like he had lost weight. Having always been slender of frame, it was more noticeable on him then it would be on his more bulky brother. In short, he looked like he had come back from death.

He eyed the bath, wondering if he could keep out of Thor's sight long enough to bathe in actual water. Romana and her assistants had taken care of his needs while he was comatose (something he cared little to think about) but he felt the need for an actual bath. He knew he wouldn't have the strength for a shower. He reached out and used a little of his skill in matter manipulation to turn the bath on from where he stood. The exhaustion settled in, showing how little energy he had. It felt like the effects of such a simple task were greater.

Soon the room started to fill up with steam, and he slowly divested himself of his clothing. He held on to the wall for support until he made it to the edge of the inset tub. Settling into the water, he let out a sigh as the warm water started to warm his skin, starting the process of relaxing the stiff muscles he had gained sitting still so long.

"Loki?" He rolled his eyes. His brother apparently was taking the "watch over him" bit of Romana's orders a bit too seriously.

"I'm fine, Thor. I haven't fallen down another black hole."

"That is not funny," Thor responded through the door, annoyance clear in his tone. Loki supposed it wasn't, but at the moment he didn't rightly care. He didn't care about much at the moment. He was on reprieve, allowed one glimpse at the life he used to live, and a stay of execution. But eventually, they would solve the problem of who kept messing with his head, and Odin would be honor bound as ruler of Asgard to punish him for his crimes. For Jotunheim certainly. Midgard could possibly be bypassed on account of being influenced by another entity or entities, but he knew as well as others that was a thin defense. He may have been manipulated into thinking it was a wise decision, but he was still capable of what he had done. Unlike Clint Barton and Erik Selvig, he had been able to make his own decisions.

Leaning his head back against the sloped headrest, he thought about Darcy. Things had finally clicked in, all of his memories back in place. The headaches remained but were light, not anything like the migraines he used to get. He remembered how Darcy used to care for him after he would have an episode, tucking him in bed, lights low, pain killers and water on the night stand. Making sure the apartment they had unofficially shared for four months was quiet. Outside of his family, he remembered few who had treated him that way.  Not many  cared for him simply because they loved him, without any agenda outside of that.

He had fallen for her. He couldn't deny that. At first, she had been mildly annoying, but she had a similar humor (perhaps a little less dark), and her enthusiasm for anything she put her mind to couldn't help but catalyze everyone else. She had given him the only few moments of true happiness in the months he spent working for the Chitauri and Thanos. Logically, he knew that given how high a priority he made revenge be, he couldn't have loved her that much to anyone else's estimation. He could just hear his mother admonishing him for treating her so poorly. For lying to her, and then disappearing for months before returning as someone bent on dominating her world.

He didn't know if he regretted his actions on Midgard yet, but he regretted Darcy. Not so much her herself, but the idea he had planted in both their heads of a kind of life neither of them could have. She would never accept him now, and he could never be Aaron again. Time had gone by, and neither of them were left unscathed. A happily ever after was unlikely.

Loki had the idea that he was going to come out worse for it, and not even because he had done a lot of shitty things. He was no longer in denial on that score  . He had imagined, during the thick of it all, returning to her and showing her how he was a King, having her by his side to rule over whatever realm he laid claim. To proving to her, as well as Odin and Thor, that he could be just like them. Yet, even as he thought it, he knew it would never have happened. His list of crimes was more then enough of a deterrent. 

The Darcy he loved would not have loved him if she had seen the real him. That he knew surer then anything. Once her anger at him for leaving in the first place had dwindled, she would move on to the fact he tried, unsuccessfully, to enslave her planet in his attempts to prove himself a proper Asgardian. Or maybe prove he was the monster he had grown up believing the Jotun to be. In the end did it matter which, as they were both true?

He winced, rubbing his temples to relieve the headache that was developing. He could still feel the connection to The Other, although it was like a phantom pain. He hadn't heard from it or Thanos since Stark had closed the wormhole. All he had heard was the mysterious voice that kept trying to manipulate his anger and self-identity issues to punish him. What he as being punished for was still a mystery .

Unfortunately, he had given many people ample motive to want to hurt him.

* * *

 

Thor loved his brother. It did not matter that they were not blood related, it did not matter that they were not even the same species. Loki was his  _ brother _ , and he loved him. However, that did not change the fact that sometimes Thor didn't really like his brother much. His anger at what his brother had done both on Asgard and Midgard often warred with the fact that he loved his brother. Regardless of the motive, he was incensed that someone would attack Loki like this. This phantom he could not touch. He knew how to fight flesh and blood. He had learned to battle wits over the years, courtesy of his brother and later Stark, but it was still his physical strength and skill that served him best. Fighting the unknown, the unseeable was something he was unaccustomed and he feared being unable to protect those he loved. Especially since Loki was already so lost. He feared his brother might be pushed past where they could reach him if this continued.

His brother deserved punishment. That was a fact. What he did not deserve was being tortured by some entity, especially outside of the ways of justice. He wasn't sure what to do with these feelings of anger. There was no one to direct them at yet, no battle to fight with Mjolnir. He was never good at the waiting stage, as evident from his first battle once he was invested as Odin's heir-apparent. In the past, his flaw had been that he was quick to act, and perhaps to a point it still was. He had always had Loki to balance him out, the one to slow down and think things through before moving on. 

"You did not need to stay," Loki grumbled upon leaving the bathroom. It was clear that he wasn't to full strength by the slow way he crossed the room, dressed in a towel and an hand out, as if he was prepared to have to lean on some of the furniture along the way. His skin was paler then normal, and he looked like he had lost weight. Thor was concerned. His brother had always been the lean one, but it had still been muscle. It was more apparent now that Loki was awake, his normal mannerisms there for comparison. Without the anger Thor had sadly gotten used to in his eyes, the exhaustion of the last year shown in his eyes, and something else Thor struggled to define. It made him a bit heartsick at the realization he didn't know his brother half as well as he had thought.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay," Thor answered honestly. The truth was, he didn't think his brother was. He was not the man Thor remembered. He remembered his brother being jovial, intelligent and sarcastic. While the Intelligence and sarcasm still remained, they were bitter now. He used his great mind to cause chaos instead of mischief and his sarcasm was built to hurt instead of being amusing commentary. He no longer smiled, or played innocent jokes. Thor knew part of this was the drastic way his heritage had been revealed to him, but Thor was forced to consider that perhaps his brother had always been this way, that he had just not wanted to see it and therefore didn't till it was forced from his denial.

He did not want to believe that his brother had not been the man he had trusted without hesitation or doubt for all of his life. The man he had expected to see at his side for the rest of it, helping him as he led Asgard into the future.

"I am fine. So unless you require more evidence of my superiority," Loki joked weakly, "I suggest you leave before I change." Thor rolled his eyes at the joke, but was secretly glad that Loki seemed up to joking. He gave his brother his privacy, stepping outside of the bedroom area and into the sitting area beyond the thick curtains that divided the room from the main entertaining area. Thor smiled at a memory that popped up in his mind from when they were young and the pressures of being Princes had not yet been weighed on their shoulders.

_ Thor!" Loki cried out to his brother as he passed his room in the hall. "Come here, I wanna show you something." Thor, of course, came. He wondered if it was something to do with what he was learning form Romana. Thor missed hanging out with his brother as much as they used to. Loki had taken to hanging out with Romana rather than with Thor and their friends and Thor couldn't help but be curious about what Romana was training Loki to do. He had never been one to deny himself his curiosity. _

_ Loki lead him into his bedroom, to a empty wall in the sitting area. "Look," he said, and he pressed a stone that was at face level with him. The wall began to move, folding in on itself, opening as more stone bricks movered to create a doorway. "I found this." _

_ "Found it?" _

_ "Romana taught me how to sense dimensional pockets," Loki said excitedly. Thor wasn't sure what he was talking about, but couldn't help but get caught up in the excitement. "And when I was practicing, I noticed one here." _

_ "What is it?" Thor asked, starting towards it. _

_ "A storeroom of some kind. Whatever it was used for, its empty now," he replied. Thor and he both walked into the spacious room beyond the door. It should not be there. Outside the window two feet away from the doorway was a large open courtyard where their mother grew her favorite flowers. This large room would have filled it, but instead it was nowhere to be seen. _

_ The two boys had come here often, hiding things of interest to them. It became their secret lair, one that no one but the two of them were aware of it. Something they kept even from Sif and the others. This was just between brothers, their own private fort. Loki had even found a second entrance that connected to the hall right outside Thor's room, allowing the two boys to meet in the room without having to leave their rooms much..  _

Thor sighed, wishing he could go back to that time when the two of them were so trusting of one another. When they felt they could do anything with the other by their side. But so much had happened over the last several years. Both their worlds had been rocked, and they were both trying to find stability in the new formation it took. Thor simply was mastering the new normal easier than his baby brother.

They hadn't been to the room in centuries, at least he hadn't. Loki had slowly turned it into his private storeroom for his tomes and whatnot that he collected from the various realms. Thor had lost interest in a secret playground, too eager to seek amusement and honor elsewhere. Now, however, it just reminded him of how far out of reach his brother had gotten over the last few years. The doorway remained open now, and he could see that it had remained untouched since Loki had last been in this room, although quite empty of the childhood contents. The shelves were full of books, but none of the stuff Thor knew Loki had kept there in the past seemed to be there anymore. He knew this was because when Thor became King, Loki had been planning to move out of the Royal family quarters into a separate set of apartments. This was going to be freed up for Thor's children when they would come. Thor hadn't thought Loki had been serious - after all, Thor hadn't planned on children for quite awhile. It made him sad to know his brother felt unwelcome in his own rooms. 

The tables that used to hold Loki's experiments in magic were cleared, only a few of his journals remained. One was still opened to whatever he was working on. Thor walked towards it, running a hand against the paper. The familiar script of his brother was noticeable, but most of it he didn't quite understand. Magic had never been his interest. He had learned what he must - as all Asgardians did at one point or another, but he could tell the parts where Loki took a break from notating his research and was just talking about himself. Before he read too much, Thor looked away. As much as he would love to read his brother's journals, trying to find out where things had gone wrong, Loki would not forgive him for the trespass. Thor had matured enough in the last few years to know that, and to know he should care.

He walked out of the room, pausing only briefly to look towards the curtain that closed his brother off to him. He didn't know how to fix things to be the way they used to be, should be.

Maybe it was too broken .

* * *

 

It was later that evening when Loki was woken by a knock on his door. He suspected it was not Thor, as his brother really never respected the idea of a closed door when it came to his brother. Or his friends, really, which had burned him once or twice when he walked in on something he shouldn't. Sif had still not forgiven Thor for walking in on her and one of her beaus. Loki got out of bed and made his way to the door, not caring that he had simply put on a pair of sleep pants before going to sleep earlier and would no doubt be in less clothes then whoever was there would expect. They would have to deal with him in his state of undress as He wasn't up to being more formal then that. He didn't really care what impression he made at the moment either.

However, of all those he could imagine coming to his door, the last one he would expect was the one he opened his door to find. Darcy stood before him, looking equally exhausted, holding something wrapped in a green blanket. He would later blame his exhaustion on why it took him a moment to realise that she held their daughter, one tiny fist waving out from under the dark fabric. 

"My father wants to talk." She didn't even pause to greet him, bluntly explaining why she was there.

"Ah," he said in response, moving over to let her in. He could understand wanting to avoid family discussions. He certainly didn't want any time with Odin just about now. He would never bar Darcy access in any case. He closed the door behind her, and followed her to the overstuffed couch, upholstered in his trademark color of green, this time a darker shade. It hadn't always been that way. The original furniture had been less comfortable, but he had altered it in his desire to have a comfortable place to read outside of his bed or the giant window seat in the great library. While he was at it, he changed the color from bright golds to dark green. 

She looked small against the cushions, and he found himself sitting beside her, pulling her close despite the estranged status of their relationship. He might have been neutral or teasing earlier, but he knew the pain of finding out what you felt was certain wasn't. Darcy had known she was adopted, but she had been certain she was just an average midgardian. In the past few days she had learned she was actually an alien princess, and Thor's biological cousin. She seemed to acknowledge the truce in their fighting as she sighed as she curled into him, their daughter safely between them, a happy gurgle coming as she viewed both of her parents for the first time after Darcy adjusted the blanket

For the first time. He had seen Darcy's, and the others', impressions of his daughter, but this was this first time they had ever met. She indeed took after him, green eyes with a hint of blue, soft thin hair that looked like it would be his color when she grew it in. Her face was rounder then his, more like her mother's, but he could see quite a bit of his features in it, she had his nose. He lifted his free hand to touch her head, brushing against the top. When her eyes latched on his, he already knew that it would be impossible not to love the little girl. He hadn't expected the instant connection he felt.

He didn't feel particularly fatherly, or whatever fathers he had always thought were supposed to feel. Just love. Or maybe that was what you were supposed to feel when you first met your child, that knowledge that you would do anything to protect them, to love them and make sure they know that. He wasn't sure. His two main examples was a father who had abandoned him to the elements when he proved too small to thrive on Jotunheim as an infant and a man who was more King then Father who couldn't - or wouldn't- love Loki the way he wanted him to. The man who had lied to him and used him as a piece on the Midgardian chess board.

He could easily imagine what would have happened if he had ignored Thanos threats and just stayed as Aaron Rogers. He would be getting to enjoy that period of time where you excitedly waited and prepared for your child's arrival, painting the second bedroom in Darcy's apartment, and arguing over paint colors (She'd want some horrible pastel color, he'd want green. He wasn't above cliches when it came to that.) and names. Maybe, if Darcy had been willing (for he still was), a wedding and settling down into the life of a physicist and his wife. Darcy no doubt would eventually get involved in local politics, and eventually he would be the husband of a Senator. He couldn't imagine Darcy not doing great things. He found the dream oddly appealing. But it would never have been. Eventually Jane would have figured out the bridge, or Thor would have repaired it on his end and the two would reunite and Thor and he would face one another. So no matter what, Darcy would be forced to see the man she had loved wasn't who she thought he was. And he couldn't imagine it helping her cause to have an alien husband. The longer the lie had gone on, the more he knew Darcy would be hurt.

"She's beautiful," was all he said outloud, leaning his head against Darcy's as they watched their daughter, a temporary truce, unspoken yet in effect. Ariana grabbed on his hand, bringing it closer to her mouth. He managed to stay out of her mouth, moving his fingers to rubbing gently on her check. She crinkled her eyes as if at first she was displeased her actions were thwarted but then happy with what had happened instead. He had to smile at her seemingly total confidence and comfort in those who held her.

"She is." Darcy agreed. She tensed for a moment, as something had occurred to her, and sat up, turning to face him, their daughter still between them. "Can you show me what you look like as a Jotun?" He looked at her in surprise.

"Why would you want to see that?" He asked, wanting to refuse outright. He never wanted anyone to see him as that. He still didn't see himself as a frost Giant, didn't like transforming into the monster he could become. And it actually took some effort. While he had learned to be able to transfigure himself into the frost giant form, it still was easier with Jotun artifacts around. Darcy's eyes pleaded with him, and despite his reservations he felt he could manage it. He owed it to her to be as honest as possible.

"Trust me, please." He stared at her for a moment, and against the desire to run away from it he slowly allowed himself to transform into the blue form he still felt alien in. His eyes changed from greenish-blue to red, and he could feel the sigils rising in his skin, almost like an itch. It was an odd sensation, shapeshifting. He was used to it, having done it many times in the centuries he since he had developed the skill. But he still found the Jotun form challenging. It was his natural form but it felt as unnatural as any other. Darcy just watched him, no reaction while he changed. 

Once he had finished she had lifted a hand and touched his face, her eyes going over the lines and sussing out what changes had actually occurred. And then she totally surprised him by thrusting their daughter into his arms. He grabbed onto her out of instinct, and was about to ask her what she thought she was doing when he caught sight of his baby girl transforming herself. He was struck with how she simply moved her little hands in the air as if nothing had occurred. As if seeing her father change his face had not phased her at all. She giggled, and her little blue hand landed on his big one, the tiny fingernails scratching against the skin.

He was stunned at the little girl's trust in him, at her ability to shift like there was nothing wrong with what she had changed to. He looked up at Darcy who simply sat smiling sadly. 

"She's still beautiful, and so are you," she stated softly. He had nothing to say to that. He knew that she had a lot of information about him that he rather she didn't due to their mental connection and no doubt had some ideas due to that infernal midgardian mythology around him. That included his feelings about being Jotun. And a part of him resented her interference in this matter, but the greater part was simply amazed. She curled into him as if she wasn't bothered by his much warmer body temperature, making sure to adjust for how he was holding their daughter. "She doesn't have the sigils." 

"No."

"Did you? When you were her age?"

"I...never asked." And he hadn't, as he hadn't wanted to know anything about it. He still didn't want to know. Hell, he had expected to be cold, but instead found out his temperature raised when he shifted to this form. There was so much he didn't know, and now looking down at his daughter he realised what a poor decision that had been to reject receiving the knowledge. He knew that things he had thought concrete fact were in actuality just legend. His temperature was one, although he knew when he felt stressed, or threatened, his body would apparently let his skin cool. He found it uncomfortable and tried his best to be in this form as little as possible.

"I want my daughter to know there is nothing wrong with her," Darcy stated, her tone firm. He looked up at her, and the look in her eyes told him she was referring to how  _ he  _ might interact with Ariana. "She's not a monster, or a freak. She's a healthy baby who has a interesting mix of genetics. That's all. And I think perhaps you need to remember that too. You are only the monster you make yourself into," She sounded sadder at this point. He found himself unable to look in her eyes, not wanting to see what he heard in them.

He looked down again at Ariana instead, who looked up at him with such trust in her eyes that he could barely believe this wasn't a dream. Here he was, in the form he detested and neither his former lover nor their daughter saw anything wrong with it. He lifted a blue finger and rubbed it against his daughter's equally blue check. She reacted the same as she did before with happy giggle. She was still so small, he could hold her with one arm without difficulty. He was reminded that she was only a few months old. Maybe only two.

He had never imagined children. He had always figured he would have some in the theoretical sense. He was a prince after all, and even if he was second to the throne, creating more heirs was a matter of fact. He had imagined he'd be married to Aesir woman, or perhaps a noble from Vanaheim. He supposed he was half right. Darcy, despite her denial, was an Aesir, the daughter of a Prince. Ariana was an heir by right of both her parents. He had never imagined the actual child, or the woman he would arrange to marry. It had been a mere hypothetical. With the long lifespans the Aesir had, he had plenty of time before he ran out of time to have children.

There had been a time where he had imagined Sif as his future bride, but despite their short lived affair, she had always loved Thor more. He never could have married a woman who was half in love with his brother. He could, possibly, imagine Darcy as his wife but he supposed that was out of the question. What with him most likely going to some prison, or a worse punishment, it was not a lot to entice a woman to marry him. Even if, by some miracle, he loved her and an equal miracle she loved him the same in return. Which he did, and it seemed on par for the rest of his life these past years that he realised it only in time to know it was being denied him.

He remembered that last night before he left. He had told Darcy that there was a family emergency, that he would be out of contact for awhile and not to worry. He had assumed at the time it would have taken very little to overcome the Midgardians, but things hadn't gone to plan. He had been gone seven months. But on that night he hadn't known that. He had made love to her one last time, trying to let her know how much he loved her. He hadn't said the words, still couldn't bring himself to allow that bit of vulnerability.But he tried to imply it in his actions. It wasn't till later that it really sank in. How much he missed being around her every day. How things had been happy for that short bit of time when he was just a physicist, when he didn't have to prove himself to anyone, and he could curl up with Darcy at the end of a hard day. 

She must have been a few months pregnant already when he left. He hadn't recalled sensing any changes in her, but they hadn't been together that long, and Darcy clearly hadn't known herself. She probably figured it out soon after he left. He felt he should have known though. He always prided himself in being observant, recognizing signs in others that they did not see - perhaps did not expect him to see. Yet he was too busy planning his world domination, proof to his father and brother he could be a good King, to notice anything different. And he hadn't even thought that the two of them  _ could _ have conceived children in any case. It wasn't the first or last of his faulty assumptions in the last few months.

He knew he should apologise for leaving her to go through the whole experience alone. But he didn't think she'd accept it, not after he compounded the issue by trying to take over the world. He hadn't even sent any message to her after he had been defeated. Almost, he supposed it could be seen, as if he hadn't cared for her at all. He had spent the whole time thinking of the day when it would be over, when he would have his freedom from Thanos and the Other, and free to rule Midgard as he saw fit, with Darcy as his Queen.

She would have made a fine Queen.

"I would never have accepted." He realised he must have said that last bit out loud, as he raised his eyes to meet hers. "I could never have accepted being a Queen to a man who had so utterly destroyed my world." She sighed, and looked to be somewhere else for a moment, her eyes slightly glazed. "You know, before I caught onto what was going on, I had these dreams. Of Aaron coming back, the two of us happily living out our lives together. He would be science-ing with Jane, I would be making sure the two of you ate while politicking. Three kids."

"You wanted kids?" It had never been a discussion between them. He supposed, had they been an ordinary couple they would have talked about it. As it was he was an alien prince bent on world domination and she was a science intern who knew too much to do anything else. Neither of them fit normal.

"I've always wanted kids. Being an only child made me want to make sure any child of mine was not the only one. I'm not sure when I decided I wanted to have a large family, but it feels I've always wanted that too. Originally, when I was younger, I wanted ten. "

"Ten?" He had to smirk at that. He could certainly help her with that wish, they had the time.

"Well, I hadn't quite figured out that children took more care then dolls," Her sad look had lessened, amused by her own recollections. "I moved it down to five, conveniently set apart to allow for the older ones to help with the youngest ones. And then after actually giving birth I decided three. Three was good, probably less if they all went like Ariana's."

"Was it difficult?"

"Labor typically is," she joked before taking his question seriously. She wondered if he was just curious or actually concerned. "It was difficult, but manageable, I guess. It probably would have helped to know a few things going in, but the doctor I had actually had experience with mutant children, so he was pretty non-plussed by the fact my daughter was born blue. There were some odd pregnancy symptoms that made me seek him out. Like above average temperature fluctuations, appetite and such. Jane took me to the hospital a couple of times for high fevers, and occasionally because I was basically freezing. The Doctor figured my daughter had some mutation to protect her from cold. She raised my temperature to suit her own. She continues to average about 99.4. Not too out of the realm of possibility for a human, but it takes me a moment to realise not to panic when she spikes to over 100." She paused again. "We never did figure out what was with the freeze incidents. Given what your brother told us of Frost Giants, Jane theorizes that the freeze is some sort of defense mechanism, especially since I seemed to get those freeze moments right when I was stressed, or arguing aggressively with Shield Agents." He had to smirk at the image. He had seen her argue many a time with Shield Agents. However, the inherent question in her statement made the smile fall off his face.

"I don't know anything about the Jotun. We haven't had much interaction with their kind."

"I got that impression," She said with a raised brow...or brows. She didn't seem quite able to keep just one down. 

"I'm finding much of what I was told was not true." He looked down at himself, still in his Jotun form. He allowed himself to transition back into his normal form, which he found much more comfortable.. Ariana remained her same blue shade for a few minutes before doing the same. "Although it was not much to begin with. They are quite a bit taller then me. I was left to die because of my size - or at least that is what my fa-Odin tells me."

"You can call him father," Darcy commented, catching his slip.

"He is  _ not  _ my father." She sighed, and he knew she was only barely stopping herself about ranting about parenthood and adoption. Again. "I found out I was...not Aesir when one of the Jotun touched my arm. In most interactions, contact causes clothing to disintegrate and burns upon the skin. It affected my clothing the same way, but when he contacted my skin it simply turned blue."

"That fits Jane's theory about it being a defense mechanism. " Darcy mused. Perhaps she and Jane had talked a bit too much about it. Especially since genetics and biology were neither of their fields of study. "I've touched you...in many many ways." He had to laugh at the overdone wink she gave him after her reference to their time together. Her responding smile seemed to show that was what she was hoping for. "And I haven't been burned. And your father didn't mention being burned when he picked you up, did he?"

"No, but I was an infant, it could be something developed in adulthood." 

"Have you ever freezer burned your comrades in Arms? Your family?"

"No."

"Perhaps because you never saw them as a threat. I suppose it's something that we need to figure out." She yawned. 

" _ Perhaps ,"  _ he stated using her previous phrase, "we should table that discussion for another day. Why don't you sleep. I'll watch over our daughter. The bed is right in through there."

"I couldn't take your bed.."

"Don't worry, I'm not being turned out. I took a nap earlier, so I can stay awake for awhile. And this couch is not that uncomfortable."

"We don't have anything for Ari..."

"I'll take care of that." He looked down at his daughter. "It's my turn to take care of her for awhile. Relax." He was as surprised as she was, he thought, when she looked at him for a moment with uncertainty, and nodded before making her way through the curtains to his room. He followed her in to find her stepping up onto the platform that helped one into the high standing bed. It was rather big, the frame looking like tree branches had naturally formed to hold the mattress. Odin had it made custom when Loki had become an adult on his own right, and he had to say it was one of most  _ him  _ of the gifts his father had given him over the years. 

Darcy didn't seem to notice the headboard unique features, or the fact that little glow lights were on the upper branches to give a soft glow to the bed when someone wanted to read in bed. Loki had done that himself. She had simply flopped down the bed, face smashed into the comforter that still remained turned over from when got up earlier. She mumbled something that Loki couldn't discern. 

He closed his eyes and thought about the old storeroom of his parents, remembering an old cradle that his mother had shown him once, one that supposedly had held Loki when he was Ariana's age. Teleportation was physically taxing at this level of exhaustion but not too much so. The cradle appeared at the foot of the bed, and he placed Ariana down in it. He wrapped the blanket around her, careful not to cover her face. He then proceeded to approach Darcy. He took the covers and with Darcy grumbling the whole time, they managed to transition her so her head was on the pillows and he could place the blankets on top of her.

Darcy was already mostly asleep when he paced a kiss on her forehead and wished her goodnight.


	15. The House of Buri

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Discussions are held across Asgard about Prince Loki and Princess Darcy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Harbingerloki for beta'ing this for me.
> 
> You may notice that I delve more into the mythology side of things rather than simply stick to the comic mythos. Most of the information I found on various religion encyclopedia websites and Edith Hamilton's Mythology.

Vili settled onto a bench in the family gardens with a sigh. He was up early this morning; both because he had a whole day's worth of tasks to do, but also because he had trouble sleeping. Too many thoughts running through his head. He knew his daughter...and how strange that sounded even in his head...was avoiding him. He didn't really mind, as he could completely understand. It was a lot to take in. He had mourned her, mourned her mother, for twenty odd years. And if Darcy was alive, could his Grace also still live? 

He wasn't sure what he wanted. Part of him wanted her alive of course. He loved her. But another part ached at the idea that she would still be alive, and would have allowed him to believe she was dead. That she would give up their child. It didn't mesh with what he knew of her. She had been such a nurturer, someone who would always find a way to take care of anyone in need . She had volunteered at food banks and other organizations built to help people. She was an advocate for those who were disadvantaged legally. In fact, she was on her way to earning her degree in law, hoping to be a rights lawyer. She wouldn't have given up her child without a good reason.

He had told her he would return. He had needed his Father's blessing, and that of his brother, The King to bring her with him so they could marry. It took longer than expected as Bors had died, and Odin did not really appreciate Midgardians, not since his last infrequent meeting with them. He had likened one to a goat once. So he had decided to go to Midgard and retrieve her. If Odin got to know her, he would accept her. Frigga had agreed to help, and was eager to meet her new sister-in-law. Of course Frigga had never learned she was pregnant.

Only she wasn't there. She was dead, and so was the child they had eagerly anticipated. Or at least he did. He had searched around for months, trying to disprove the news that she was dead. Everything pointed to it, and eventually he had to give in to logic. He returned home, took it upon himself to write his daughter's name in the family records, and submerse himself in the library, being Odin's advisor on many topics. He used work as a way to distract himself from his grief, and eventually it became an absent minded pain he barely noticed.

Which brought him to now, with a fully grown daughter he didn't quite understand, nor she him. He wasn't sure how to process it. He had tried talking to her earlier, but Darcy was avoiding him, having rushed out of the healing room with her companions. He hadn't pushed, not knowing what to say. What do you say to a daughter who must feel abandoned. Who couldn't know anything about the father who had wanted her so.

"You are up early," He turned to see Frigga approaching him, her gardening gloves in her hand. He had to smile at the image she made. She wore plain clothing, a long tunic and some loose pants. Her hair was in a simple braid, pinned up in a bun at the base of her neck. She was clearly planning to work in her garden this morning, without need of the fashion of being Queen. Not that his sister-in-law looked anything less than elegant..

"I had too much to think of," he admitted, moving over so she could join him on the bench.

"Yes, I'm sure you do." she paused before continuing as she sat down, one arm resting on the back. "About Darcy, no doubt."

"Some. And her mother, Grace."

"You never told us about her, not really."

"I was planning on bringing her home to meet Odin, you know that. I feared that he wouldn't give his blessing if I simply told him about her. In the end however..."

"You couldn't bring her home." She stated, remembering how she had been surprised that he had arrived alone, yet his posture at the time had kept her from saying anything. After awhile it just seemed better to let it rest.

"Yes." She lay a hand on his shoulder in comfort. He reached up and covered it with his own. His friendship with Frigga went back centuries. He had been the first of the brothers to court her, in fact. They had soon found out that neither he nor Ve had any chemistry with Frigga outside that of friendship. It was Odin, who resisted their father's desire that one of them marry her, who ended up being the love of her life. Still, they had remained friends, and he counted her among his closest confidents. She knew more about the sons of Bors then perhaps anyone living.

"I'm planning a family dinner tonight," she said after a few moments of silence. "I've invited my sons and their significant others, as well as your brother Ve. It will be nice to have us all around the table again."

"Yes, it will be. Do you think everyone will come?" It was an honest question, as the family was strained in their relationships with each other. He knew Odin was not really happy that Vili had kept such a secret, and Loki was unhappy with everyone. About the only one not angry at someone else was Thor.

"Thor will of course, as will Jane and Ve. I'm unsure about Loki," She stated as she looked out to the view they shared. "He pushes us away thinking we don't love him like we do. He thinks that way he'll hurt less, but I don't think it helps. We love him so much, but he can't see it. He's not ready to."

"It won't help, no, but one day Loki will realise how much you, and Odin too, love him."

"So much to look back on and wish we had done differently." She shook her head, looking down in sorrow. "How could one of my sons doubt my love?"

"Loki has always been a solitary person. I believe he knows you love him, but is afraid to accept it. Because that will mean accepting what has happened. He is still too hurt to do that. Perhaps his daughter will help him heal enough to realise that."

"That is a lot to put on a little girl."

"It's not on her to change her father," Villi stated. "Its up to her father to change, and she might be the impetus that helps him make that decision." He sighed. "I never thought  _ we'd _ share a grandchild," he joked, trying to lighten the somber mood they both had fallen into.

Frigga let out a laugh. "Nor did I." She smiled at him. "I'm am glad though. Your daughter is a wonderful person, Vili. She has already helped Loki more than I think she'll ever realize. I owe her a great debt, for both my sons."

"I had nothing to do with who she is."

"Yet I can see elements of you in her. She's a bit more...blunt then you would ever be, though."

"She gets that from her mother. Grace was never one to let something remain silent that she thought should be said." He smiled, his thoughts fond. "She was the type to get into the face of anyone who was holding people down. She had so much she cared about. I couldn't even tell you the variety. I met her at a protest actually."

"What was she protesting?"

"There was a company in her home town that was dumping used water into the local creek. She and some others were protesting, saying that the water should be filtered before disposing of it in the waterways." He frowned. "Midgard has advanced so much in some ways, so little in others. There are things I would love to see here in Asgard, but there is so much more growth they need to do."

"Isn't that the truth with us all?"

"Yes, I suppose that is true." They both looked out onto the dawning sunrise, enjoying the silence of comradeship.

"well," Frigga stated, standing, "I'll see you at dinner. My roses need some tending."

"Of course." he stated with a smile before leaving to start his own full day of work.

~*~

Darcy awoke to find herself alone. She had slept through the night for the first time in forever. She looked around for any signs of Loki, or of their daughter, but found none. She did however find that while she had slept, someone had moved her things into the space. Not that there was much there. Clothes had been provided, and were laying in a pile on the bench at the end of the bed next to the cradle. One pile was clearly for her, and she found it really odd that whoever it was knew her exact size and preferences. Because everything looked like it would fit her, and instead of one of the dresses she had seen Jane in, they had given her a tunic and pants that were wide enough that they made the appearance of a skirt. Golden geometric designs were on the clothes. It looked quite different than what she expected, but it also looked comfortable. Beside it was a pile of smaller clothes, and more of them. It was clearly for Ariana, and like hers they appeared to be the right size. On top lay a piece of parchment.

_ Darcy, _

_ I hope you don't mind that I went ahead and put together some items for you. I can understand how an unexpected trip doesn't allow you to prepare for long stays. Feel free to request anything you may need. I have also put together some toiletries and other assorted items based on recommendations from Lady Jane.  _

_ Do not worry for Ariana. Loki was called in to talk to his father this morning, and I took it upon myself to invoke my grandmotherly rights and am caring for her right now.  _

_ Frigga _

She sighed and dropped the message down onto the pile and looked around. She had only meant for the room to be her sanctuary for a night. To hide from Vili who wanted to get to know her. She wasn't ready, no where near ready to deal with that bit of news. She was hardly dealing with the whole thing with Loki at the moment, and she would really like to only have one issue at a time.

The room felt like Loki. The thick curtains that separated the bedroom area from the sitting area were a dark green, almost black. The walls were stone, but a kind of stone Darcy hadn't really encountered before. They were smooth to the touch, almost like glass, but they lacked the chill. Perhaps a kind of Obsidian? Either way, it would have made the room seem rather dark, but for the sunlight above the bed and a window seat window overlooking the garden. She knew the sitting area also had a balcony that overlooked it. She could easily imagine a young Loki lying there with a book.

And books there were. The one wall was covered floor to ceiling with bookcases, and it appeared to be layers, with the front ones being able to slide across the floor to reveal what was behind them. Other then that the room was rather plain, but obviously meant to be comfortable. The bed, she knew from personal experience, was delightful and she could have stayed there all day. 

She made her way into the bathroom, finding another collection of items meant for her. She was surprised that many of the scents were her favorites. Maybe Jane had been somewhat observant about those around her after all. She shook her head, that was a bit unkind. Her friend was a bit overly focused on her work, but she was a good friend.

She decided to take Frigga's advice and make use of the room. She ignored the oddness of it being Loki's rooms, or the fact that his mother had basically moved her in. The bath water heated quickly and oddly enough to her exacting temperature. She needed to find out who their plumber was because it always took her five minutes to adjust the water to keep it from being Mount Doom or Cap's vacation home. SHe slipped into the water, sighing with relief as the hot water soothed her skin and slowly relaxed her muscles. She'd forgive Frigga, if only for this bathroom. And maybe for the time alone. She missed her daughter, but it was nice to have some time to herself that didn't involve someone being in peril.

 

~*~

Thor pinched his nose as Odin and Loki continued to argue. Odin was being his usual "obey me or else" self, and Loki reacted in kind with his "I don't care" attitude. It was supposed to be a briefing with the Midgardians and the senior officials of the court on what had gone on with Thanos and Loki's midgardian adventure, but it had escalated into Odin and Loki taking shots at one another. He knew his father loved Loki, but even he could see how Loki might not see it as well.

Thor to this point had tried to stay out of it. He loved them both, and wondered how his mother had managed it all these years. He would ask her, but she decided to take off with her granddaughter. Instead he simply listened and took in the various reactions. The Midgardians seemed to take a range from vaguely annoyed (Natasha, which if Thor knew her meant she was probably vastly annoyed if it was showing at all), to extremely annoyed (Fury). Stark at least seemed entertained by the fact that for once his issues weren't on the table today.

"Well this is certainly productive," the sarcastic voice of Fury interrupted Thor's thoughts. His voice wasn't raised but it caught everyone's attention. He stood across from Odin, his hands on his hips. Perhaps Fury was the only one who equaled Odin in his ability to make everyone listen, because everyone quieted at his words and turned their attention to the Midgardian. Maybe it was the eyepatch. "Perhaps we should redo this when the family therapy is over with."

Loki looked ready to say something, but Thor gave him a look and surprisingly, he listened and closed his mouth. Odin on the other hand, did not.

"I would watch what you say, Midgardian," The King stated, clearly not pleased with how this meeting was going. "You are speaking to the King and Prince of Asgard." Once Thor would have jumped in as an offended one, wanting to get restitution for the slight, but he had grown since then, and knew it was best to keep silent. His father was irritated, but not quite angry.

"Looks like a bunch of hissy fitters." Fury responded, unperturbed. "We have spent the last half hour listening as you and your son have gone back and forth baiting one another. It's a waste of our time, and a waste of your own. " He shook his head. "And I thought Stark would be the largest of my troubles."

"Hey," the aforementioned man cried out in mock outrage. "I resemble that remark." Stark's joke, poor as it may be, seemed to lighten the mood a little. 

"There is no need," Loki stated. "I can continue." His tone was the opposite of pleased, but as he said, he continued. His tale of the last year or so made Thor want to resume his old behavior of going out and risking war on those who would harm his baby brother. Even the Midgardians, who had no reason to love Loki, in fact had every reason to despise him, seemed angry on Loki's behalf. Marginally. After all, their anger with him was still quite in the right, and it would be a long time before Loki earned their forgiveness. If he ever did. Still, they were as uncomfortable hearing Loki's story as he was, even if they did not have the love for him.

Thor had heard tales of what happened in the spaces between realms. The unexplored or that which had been explored and found less than pleasant. Loki seemed to have found both. In a realm yet unknown to the main nine, he had landed into the arms of the Chitauri, a race of warriors not unlike the Asgard. However their leader, known as the Other, had taken a pledge to serve Thanos, who claimed to be one of the Eternals. Sensing his mental status at the moment, he had used the pain and depression Loki was already suffering to twist and reshape Loki into his own image, one of a war-mongering supervillain who wanted only to rule all. Of course with all things Loki, things hadn't gone to plan. Loki had managed to retain something of himself. Thor and Odin knew the difference, but the Midgardians did not and he suspected they did not see that part of the story. Loki didn't see it either.

 

He had arrived on Earth, choosing the location his brother had gone to and started to observe the humans there. He followed Eric to the tesseract as planned, and later when they came close to figuring it out, he continued with the plan. Thor noticed that Loki had made a point to not include that he had spent months working for Shield as a physicist, or that he had been in a relationship with Darcy. 

Of course the Midgardians now knew that, but they seemed equally uneager to mention Darcy. As Loki finished, voices started to overlap each other as both the council and the Midgardians had questions to ask.

~*~

Darcy decided after her bath to dress in one of the outfits which she hoped were as comfortable as they looked. She strolled around the palace, taking in the amazing artwork on the walls, and the architecture that would make her cousin Kori weep to see. The ceilings were high ribbed vaults in the outer areas. In the more personal areas of the family home, the architecture was less fancy, a simply cross vault worked. The balconies on the far right side of the Palace, opposite of the rainbow bridge opened up into a view of a large waterway. It looked like it might be a lake, but it was large enough perhaps it was an ocean bay. She wasn't sure. She found herself on one of the balconies, easily able to believe herself on some european getaway. It seemed funny that the palace had so much gothic and southern-european architecture styles, but she supposed there was only so many ways one could invent the wheel. There were signs of Norse influences as well. She wandered into one of the grand audience chambers at one point, and it had a second floor for viewing with nordic wood designs on the banisters and railings. Many of the doors were rounded at the top as well. It looked like someone had taken all of art history and smashed it together to create Asgard.

Still, it was beautiful to look at and she figured she could probably spend a lifetime trying to see it all. Especially the grand library. She didn't venture towards it today, feeling it was too soon after the events of the other day to go back there. She would probably be watched like a hawk in case she passed out again. Plus she wasn't sure if she needed a library card or what to get in.

Instead she ended up on a southern balcony,which overlooked the nearby town. It was bright and sunny, which seemed to go against the mood inside the grand palace. She wondered if the people who lived down in the towns and villages of Asgard were aware of the strange happenings of their princes and the strangers from the Midgardian realm. Did they even care? 

She leaned up against one of the columns that held the roof over the balcony. It was wooden, she thought, with gold plate accents. The wood had been embellished with a carving. She wondered if it was just a scene out of an artist's head, or an actual scene of history. Either way it was very good, and very detailed. She could almost feel like she was standing there before this man, who looked like Odin a bit, but with a longer beard. In one hand he held a sword, and in another he held a book, left open in his palm. A wise leader who could also protect. Below him at the bottom of the column was the relief of a crowd, as if listening to his every word. 

"That is King Buri."

"The salt lick one?" Darcy asked, turning to smile at Thor. She hadn't had much time with her friend as she would like. Thor smiled at her as if he welcomed her company as well.

"Midgard has come up with some interesting tales from little information."

"We are good at that. Look at the internet." He laughed. One of their interesting adventures during his time on earth was introducing him to the internet. Thor found the idea of fandoms fascinating and oddly got addicted to fanfic for Professor Who, a television show that Darcy and Jane had watched religiously.

"No, Buri was not built from salt. He is my great-grandfather, and the first of our House to rule Asgard. He was also one of the first to venture out of our realm. " Thor sighed. "At that time we had peace with those from Jotunheim, who had called themselves the Jotunr then. I have to admit this part of history has become forgotten in my generation till recently. We intermarried, carried out small colonies on each other's realm. We met the Vanir, who still are our Allies. My great-grandfather married one of them, a woman named Asta. She was his first wife, and sadly died young. My grandfather was their only child, and his name was Bors."

"I guess he decided to break with the B trend with his sons."

"Yes, he did. Odin, Vili and Ve. He also had a younger brother from his father's second wife, a man named Sigmund. He founded the Library, of which Vili continues to be the patron of."

She sighed. She really didn't want to talk about her 'father'. "So I guess bookworms come in the family."

"Yes, although Loki and my uncle Vili take it to new levels than their predecessors. Knowledge is of course expected of a young Aseir to gather. However, we put an equally heavy weight on being warriors and making glory in battle."

"And Loki didn't quite fit in ?"

"It depends on what you mean." Thor turned his back to the column and stared out onto the view. "Loki was a fine warrior. But he used his knowledge to aid him like any weapon. He used trickery and illusion as if it was equal with a dagger or an axe. It did not seem to fit the idea most of the Aesir have grown to have of warriors. Nor did it fit mine. I have to admit the last few years have been quite an education when it comes to my own prejudiced ways." Darcy felt sympathy for Thor. It is never easy to change habits you've grown up with, let alone ideals and societal facts installed in you. The fact that Thor was willing to be educated, willing to change said a lot about his character.

"You'll make a great King someday, Thor. When that day comes maybe you can help change the way Aesir think of the warrior and the scholar."

"I hope you are right, Lady Darcy."

"Are you never going to drop the Lady?"

"It is a title of respect, one I thought you deserved long before you were my cousin and had the title."

"That's a bit weird, isn't it."

"It is...unfamiliar territory, but I don't think I quite mind it." He smiled at her, and she knew he meant every word. Thor was one who loved easily, but not naively and was loyal to those he loved. She was honored to be one of those people. Despite his easy going way, and the fact that he had fallen in love with Jane within hours, and considered Erik and herself to be among his inner circle within days, Thor did not have many he considered his companions. There were only His three midgardian friends, The Lady Sif, the Warriors Three and Loki. This week must have been hell for Thor, having to deal with his brother's betrayal, and trying to understand his own unknowing betrayal of Loki. He also had to contend with the fact that Fury had followed him up to Asgard to discuss what was to be done with Loki, and his relationship with his other avengers was not particularly close. Darcy hoped that would change, because the little she knew of the Avengers, they were all good examples of human behavior. Mostly. They were human after all and everyone has pitfalls.

"I'm not sure what I make of it," she stated, getting back to their conversation. "I never longed to know my biological parents. Maybe for a little bit when I first found out I was adopted, but I was like 6, and I thought my parents were telling me because they didn't want me anymore. Once I knew that wasn't the case I rarely thought about it." She sighed. "Is that weird? Should I have been more curious? More involved with my own history?"

"I don't think there is a good or bad way to go into this, Lady Darcy." Thor said, his tone somber. "You reacted by ignoring that part of your history. My brother reacted by hyperfocusing on it. I can't say I reacted too well either."

"You didn't know?"

"No, not till after Loki fell. My father was forced to tell me. I knew that we weren't twins, not the way people thought of us. Loki's birthday is several months after mine. I just assumed that my mother had had him early, and even when I should have known better I didn't think about it long enough to really question that. Looking back, that seemed foolish. 

"When my father told me, I was angry. I was angry at my father for withholding this information. I was angry at my mother for going along with it. I was angry with myself for never questioning why I had a brother so close in age who looked like none of us except for my Uncle Ve. I was angry at Laufey for abandoning his child. I took that anger out on my friends. Thankfully they bore out the storm. They never asked why I was so angry. I think they assume I was simply angry at Loki. After all, so were they."

"Did you ever tell them?"

"That Loki was adopted?"

"Yeah.."

"No. I think they eventually figured it out. Especially given the last few weeks. " He sighed. "Despite knowing that he is not my blood brother, and knowing that he is part of a race that I've been brought up to hate - I do not hate him. I still love him, he is still my brother, and I would fight anyone who would dare deny that."

"That's good to hear, Thor. He's going to need you while he recovers." Her anger at her ex-boyfriend did not snuff out her level of compassion for him. At the moment she felt drained of everything. She didn't have the energy to keep hating him.

"You do not think he is better now?"

"Hardly. He is in desperate need of therapy - probably your whole family does. Beyond his issues with his fathers, he probably has a bad case of PTSD from all the mind fuckery Thanos did."

"I don't think we have an equivalent to that on Asgard," Thor responded. "I have heard mentions of it while on Midgard with the Avengers. It seemed a topic they only spoke of sparingly as if it was a taboo"

"It stands for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It basically means that the person went through something traumatic and that trauma caused something in their brain to rewire so you don't respond normally to certain stimuli. Sometimes it comes in having flashbacks where you are actually reliving the event, sometimes it comes to panic attacks when you are in a situation that in some way reminds you of the trauma. Some manage to get a hold of it, and are eventually symptom free, but often enough people have to deal with this their whole lives. I'm not an expert on psychology. You should ask Fury for some references and seek an actual professional. Most of what I know is general knowledge and wikipedia."

"Asgard is not as...prepared for the illness of the mind as Midgard seems to be."

"We aren't really prepared. Mental illness gets a bad rep still. People often have to hide their conditions for fear of being thought of as incapable, or have people afraid that they will go crazy on them. Which might be why it seemed like a taboo to talk about it." She shook her head. "Besides, Romana seemed to have some clue. Maybe she has some know-how to give your doctors. And perhaps they are more informed than you think. I can't imagine with a warrior culture being seen as having mental problems is going to fare well."

"You are unfortunately correct. Its another attitude that I will attempt to change."

"That's all anyone can really ask for, Thor. Move towards changing things for the right causes, and trying to get rid of the bad behaviors. Become a better person. None of us are perfect, so change is never easy." She paused as a thought occurred to her. "If you are here to tell me the tales of the Monarchy, where is your brother?"

"I'm not sure. He left after our meeting and disappeared. He was prone to do that when he was younger, it is nothing new. The meeting was pretty draining, even for those of us simply listening." He sighed, his mood souring again. "What my brother has been through..."

"We will help him, Thor. He won't always be so lost."

"But he'll never be the brother I had before."

"No, but are all of us the same as we were before that?" He nodded with a sad smile at her good point. "I better find out where your mother has absconded with your niece. It's been nice having a day off to myself but there are some things a mother must simply do." Thor seemed confused by the vague reference, but he decided it seemed it wasn't worth it to ask.

"Then I shall see you later tonight,  _ cousin _ ." He said the last bit with a grin. "I shall seek out my Jane."

"You do that, big guy."

~*~

Loki liked his solace. He was a loner, and most of the time it hadn't bothered him. He of course desired friends, and often did spend time with those he had once thought to be friends. He no longer did. It had been a hard blow to take when he realised that his friends trusted him very little. He couldn't call them his friends anylonger for many reasons. He couldn't trust them to be  _ his _ friends, only friends of Thor. Thor would always reign supreme in their minds. Why it hadn't occurred to him in the past, he did not know. It still hurt.

He could no longer trust them, and they no longer trusted him if they had. They simply saw him as the prince who had tried to commit genocide (thankfully it had been mostly structural damage. He had had a long time to think about what he had done in the abyss that was falling off that bridge). As the man who tried to take over the world. And he really wasn't open to actively changing their opinion. 

It wasn't worth it if they would just continue to choose Thor.

He hadn't had many friends of his own, so really his friendships were down to zero. Unless you counted Darcy, but he wasn't sure he was ready to. Their relationship seemed to be getting better now that they weren't hearing every thought that passed through the other's head. They still had that weak telepathic link though, and occasionally when Darcy was hyper about something he got a few words from her side of things. He was skilled at keeping his within in head.

He couldn't count Thor. They loved each other, and were brothers in name and mind if not blood, but it had been quite a while since they were friends.

So focused on his inner argument, he failed to realise where his feet had taken him till he found himself standing in the vault, staring at the Casket of Enteral Winter. He lifted a hand to touch it, watching as it turned blue, like it had before.

"We seem to keep finding ourselves back here," came a voice he recognized but didn't want to acknowledge at the moment. "The last time more detrimental to us both then perhaps we were prepared for."

"You mean when you told me that my real father left me to die?"

"My words were unfortunate. But you also twisted my words and refused to believe half of them."

"You made me your son as a pawn in inter realm politics."

"No, I made you my son because I knew that moment that I first held you that you were meant to be  _ my _ son. "

"To replace the one you lost?"

"No, for no one can replace a lost child. That heartache will forever remain mine, just as the the heartache I suffer due to you and your brother hold their own weight. I had three sons. No more, and no less."

"You were quick to toss me aside when Thor returned from his banishment."

"You were quick to assume that it was tossing you aside that was my purpose." Loki turned to face his father. Odin had sat down on the stairs, his staff laying beside him. It brought memories of Odin collapsing after their last conversation here. However, the Odin before him was hale, and not sitting out of weakness. "I was trying to tell you that what you did was wrong. Not that I wanted you gone, or did not love you." He sighed, weariness appearing his voice. "I am an old man, and I make mistakes. Too often with you it seems. But no matter what, you are my son."

"Did Laufey know you took me?"

"Not that I was ever made aware of. Laufey was once a good man. Time and power had corrupted him. I doubt he really took the time to notice that his infant son had not died in the temple."

"Why abandon me in a temple?"

"I do not know. Much of the culture of Jotunheim is now a mystery to me. Perhaps that was a mistake I made as well." He pointed to the spare area beside him. "Come, sit down, Loki." Loki wanted to ignore his invitation, but he was still a bit exhausted from his turmoil the last few months. In the end, he took the seat.

"It was right here you know when your mother first met you." Odin started. "When I arrived home, the first thing I did was make sure that the Casket was safely secured. I also didn't want the general public to know about you yet, not until your mother knew. She walked into this room, Thor on her hip, and I didn't even need to tell her. She loved you from the instant she knew you existed. Do you doubt her love?"

"Sometimes. It's hard not to doubt everything in light of all the lies I was told. I'm supposed to be the liesmith, but it seems I dabbled in it far less than others."

"I kept your history from you for your own protection. It was best that no one knew that you were Laufey's son. The Aesir were still battle scarred and might resent a Jotunr Prince. And I couldn't risk Laufey deciding to come and get you."

"Why would he risk war for a child you say he abandoned."

“Pride is a very strong thing, my son.  It seems that it is a folly of this family too." He paused. "My pride was at fault for ignoring problems within our family that became toxic in these recent years. From the night we first held you, Loki, you were our son. You were an Odinson, and while I can acknowledge your right to choose your biological father's name, I will never deny you as a member of this family. I may not have noticed that your brother grew egotistical about his abilities, or that you grew to underestimate your own place within this family, but I love both my sons, and I love them equally. You accused me of preferring Thor."

"You can't honestly believe that I would believe you when you say you loved us equally. You always preferred Thor."

"Your brother and I are more alike in personality and habits. We bonded more, perhaps, than I and you. You on the other hand bonded more with Frigga. We do not love one more than the other. But perhaps we had a child more like us in temperament and interests that we doted on more."

"I was always made to feel less than Thor."

"For that I am greatly regretful. You are not less than your brother, Loki. You are his equal, when you choose to be."

"Choose? When did I ever have a choice."

"You have always had a choice, my son. You had a choice to believe me when I said I loved you, and that you were my son. You had a choice to lie to your brother while he was on Midgard, a choice to try and annihilate your biological species. A choice to kill your brother. You have had plenty of choices. And the choices you make are your own to rectify. Including the mass hysteria and bloodshed you caused on Midgard."

"And how are you going to achieve that? Banish me there, like you did Thor?"

"And to where could I banish you that you would not escape?" Odin shook his head. "Your anger at me may be well-founded, but your actions over the last few years have been of your own choosing. Banishing you to Midgard would not only be fruitless, for your magic is not mine to take away and you wouldn't be held there, but also it would make you more resentful than helpful. You will serve your term here, and when your mother and I, along with the council deem it so, you will serve time on Midgard as well. 

"Is this your sentence then,"

"No. We will present that formally at a hearing after we deal with this entity that plagues your mind." He looked at his son sadly. "You were both raised to be kings, Loki. That is the way of monarchy. If your brother had died, or somehow been unable to rule, it would have been your responsibility, and not training you for that responsibility would be reckless. I never thought you were incapable of being a leader, a ruler. You decided that yourself".

~*~

Loki was in the room when Darcy returned to it, lounging on the the couch with a book. He didn't seem worse for wear, just tired, so she assumed that he had survived the inquisition unscathed. She walked over the crib and laid Ariana down. She paused for a moment to see if her sleeping child would remain asleep. After a moment she sighed in relief and walked over to sit at the end of the couch, leaning back.

"Your home is huge,” she stated as she closed her eyes, enjoying the comfort of the couch cushions.

"It's a basic necessity of palaces,” Loki stated with a raised brow.

"How do you think?" She looked at him, actually curious as to his answer.

"Palaces are more than just a home for the royal family. They are a governmental building. It needs to be big enough to hold diplomatic guests, and do the daily work of governing. It also is a symbol to other kingdoms of the wealth and status of the kingdom. Grand palaces can not be built if a community is starving or struggling."

"Tell that to Louis XIV."

"One of your midgardian rulers?"

"Yeah, France."

"I liked their bread." She started to laugh, though she wasn't sure what was so funny about that. Loki seemed to be as bemused as she. But it had been such a mundane reply and she just found it funny.

"Sorry...not sure why I laughed at that."

"Insanity is contagious?"

"I would say that isn't funny, but we know my humor isn't right, right now."

"I take it you had a pleasurable day exploring the grounds?"  He closed his book and turned towards her.

"The inside yes. I haven't even attempted the various gardens and whatnot you have."

"You'll enjoy them."

"I'm sure I will. And you?"

"My day was....tiring."  There was something he held back from her, but she didn’t feel like prying at the moment.  Not when things were going so well between them.

"I bet. Having to explain to Fury and the others about what happened. I mean I know what happened because of a telepathic link, but actually reciting it must have been hard."

"I found it not to be difficult as I thought it would be." The feeling he was holding back returned, but as before she pushed it aside.  She closed her eyes and enjoyed the silence for a moment. "I have something for you," Loki stated about ten minutes later, breaking the comfortable silence that had grown between.

"Oh?" She asked, sitting up and looking at him. At some point he had gotten up off the couch without her noticing and now stood before her holding a box. 

"I figured you might need something to wear with that outfit my mother chose for dinner tonight." He opened up a box and handed it to her Inside was a long silver chain attached to a gold pendent. She picked it up to look at more closely. The pendent was beautifully made, and was in the shape of two snakes, curving around each other almost like the infinity shape. They connected at opposite ends of the pendent by biting each other's tail. It was mostly made with gold, with green and silver accents. The eyes of the serpents were two diamonds.  Or at least they appeared to be diamonds - she didn’t know the geology of Asgard.

"It's beautiful.” She paused and looked up at him. “I shouldn't accept."

"No, you should. I owe you far more than a simple piece of jewelry, Darcy,” he stated as he sat down beside her.  He seemed earnest in his desire to give her something nice, but she couldn’t help but be skeptical.

"Are you planning on paying it off by giving me jewels?"

"No," He said with a smile, one that seemed almost natural on his face, like he really meant it. She hadn't seen one of those since his time as Aaron. A bit of her heart broke at that. Aaron was still there, somewhere inside the man that Loki was. "I know better then that. But it's a nice start, don't you agree?"

"Well, I do like it, and that dress does ask for some accents. " She replaced the necklace in the box and took the lid off of him. "Thank you." 

"Your welcome," he said softly, his smile softening, and for a moment they sat across from each other soaking up the peaceful moment. Of course, because it was them and Darcy wasn't at all sure she wasn't cursed by the Norns or whoever dealt fate, it became suddenly awkward as Ariana started to cry, needing her mother. Darcy rushed to help her, but she couldn't ignore the fact that she was pretty sure they had a moment back there, a chance to recover something they used to have.

Perhaps Ariana's cries had been a good thing.


End file.
